AQW 46188/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 45403/22-27, to detail the number of Education Authority behavioural specialists, broken down by each Local Impact Team.
Asked by Michelle Guy MLA on 13 May 2026
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 13 May 2026
- Answer due by
- 29 May 2026
- Answered
- 4 June 202622 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
The Education Authority (EA) has provided the following information:
| Local IMPACT Teams (LITs) | Teachers | Interventions Officers | Behaviour Support Assistants (BSA)/ Classroom Assistants (CAs) | *Area Team Members |
| Western Health Trust Area | ||||
| Enniskillen LIT | 1 | |||
| Omagh LIT | 1 Recruited | 1 | ||
| Derry City LIT | 1 Recruited | 1 | ||
| Limavady LIT Waterside LIT Dungiven LIT | ||||
| Northern Health Trust Area | ||||
| Causeway LIT | 1 | 1 | ||
| Cookstown LIT | 1 | 2 | ||
| Ballymena LIT | 1 | |||
| Antrim LIT | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Newtownabbey | ||||
| Southern Health Trust Area | ||||
| Dungannon LIT | 1 | 1 | ||
| Craigavon LIT | 1 | 2 | ||
| Armagh LIT | ||||
| Newry LIT | 1 | |||
| South Eastern Health Trust Area | ||||
| Lisburn LIT | 1 | |||
| Ballynahinch LIT | 1 Recruited | |||
| Bangor, Ards LIT | ||||
| Belfast Health Trust Area | ||||
| Belfast North LIT | 1 | |||
| East LIT | 1 | 1 | ||
| South West LIT | 1 | 1 | ||
| West LIT | 1 | |||
| TOTAL | 10 | 14 | 4 | |
*Area Teams are Social, Behavioural, Emotional and Wellbeing (SBEW) specialists at Assistant Advisory Officer Grade.
The EA is also drawing on staff within Post-Primary and Primary Partnership/Education Other Than At School centres to maximise available capacity and respond to increasing levels of demand. However, it must be recognised that these staff are concurrently supporting pupils with complex behavioural needs, including those at risk of or subject to suspension or expulsion.
Given ongoing pressures, targeted recruitment has taken place and three additional SBEW specialist teachers have been appointed and will take up post shortly. This will provide some enhancement to existing capacity; however, demand for SBEW support continues to exceed available resource across all geographic areas.
Primary and Post Primary Partnership Centres:
| Partnership Centres | Senior Teachers | Teachers (FTE) | Intervention Officers | BSAs/CAs |
| Primary Partnership |
| Fir trees Omagh, Strabane | 1 | 5.5 | 8 | |
| Little Oaks L/Derry | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Tree Tops Strabane | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Thornberry Coleraine | 1 | 2 | 10 | |
| Sunflowers Antrim | 1 | 3.5 | 10.5 (FTE) | |
| Willow Belfast | 1 | 4.8 | 1 | 8 |
| Tamnamore Dungannon | 1 | 3.5 | 3 | 6 |
| Post Primary Partnership | ||||
| Maydown L/Derry | 1 | 4 | 0.8 (PT Youth worker) | 2 |
| Sunlea Coleraine | 1 | 2.6 | 1 | |
| Rathmore Antrim | 1 | 3.8 | 1 | |
| NEGC Newtownabbey | 1 | 4.4 | 1 | |
| Link Belfast | 1 | 9.8 | 3 | |
| Kinnego Dungannon | 1 | 2.5 | 2 | |
| Total: | 13 | 53.4 | 7.8 | 61.5 |
| Trust Area | Waitlist total number for SBEW Support as of April 26 |
| Western | 220 |
| North | 210 |
| Southern | 160 |
| South Eastern | 112 |
| Belfast | 274 |
| Total | 976 |