Parents Launch 'Lifeline' Summer Scheme for Children with Severe Learning Disabilities in Lisburn

Nearly 20 children with severe learning disabilities attended a week-long summer scheme in Lisburn, organised by parents and Sensability after fears earlier this year that special school summer provision would be cancelled.

A week-long summer scheme for children and young people with severe learning disabilities has been held at The Grove Activity Centre in Lisburn, giving families what several parents described as a much-needed "lifeline" after months of uncertainty over provision. The scheme, organised by the charity Sensability and funded by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, ran for almost 20 children and young people aged five to 19 and concluded on Friday with a lunch shared by attendees and their families.

According to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, the scheme ran from 10 to 14 August 2026 and was designed not only to occupy children over the summer break but also to give parents and carers a chance to socialise with one another and take part in activities and therapies alongside their children.

What is the Sensability summer scheme?

Sensability is a charity that supports children, young people and adults with severe learning disabilities. Many of those who took part in the Lisburn scheme use wheelchairs, are non-verbal, and have complex medical needs that would normally require nursing supervision during the school term.

The council said the programme included sensory play activities, and Sensability confirmed it paid for facilitators from Diverse Minds Events to run these sessions. Crucially, parents attended the sessions alongside their children so they could step in for any medical or personal care needs that arose during the day.

Why was the scheme needed?

Karen Ryan, one of the founders of Sensability, helped organise the scheme after similar summer provision run through special schools was thrown into doubt earlier in the year. Her 17-year-old daughter Emily was born with a rare chromosome disorder, is non-verbal, tube-fed and uses a wheelchair, and attends Parkview Special School in Lisburn.

A lot of the attendees are wheelchair users, they would have epilepsy or diabetes, they would require tube feeds, they would be non-verbal and would need all of their personal care needs met.

Ms Ryan explained that having parents present throughout the week was essential to covering the level of care required.

So they can be called to attend to any medical needs, any feeds, any personal care needs.

A long white table sits a dozen people. There are plates of food in-front of each person. The table is in a small white-walled room. There are half a dozen bunches of flowers down the centre of the table. — Image caption, The scheme ended on Friday with a special lunch enjoyed by young people and their families

What happened during the week?

Alongside the Sensability scheme, Stepping Stones Northern Ireland separately ran a six-week youth service summer programme, which was also supported by the council. Together, the two schemes offered families in the area an alternative after concerns were raised about the future of school-based summer provision.

For Kristin Hutchinson, being able to attend the scheme with her six-year-old son Adam, who has severe learning difficulties, made a significant difference to his wellbeing over the summer.

Adam, when he has no structure at school, he is just so dysregulated.

He's been quite distressed every day this summer, which is distressing for me.

I would very hard to find activities or things to do with him that would help regulate him.

She also said the scheme gave her some rare time to herself.

I left yesterday feeling a lot lighter than I went in.

A woman with short brown hair smiles at the camera in a grey-tshirt, while her son, who is on her left, sitting on her knee looks slightly of camera to the right as he wears a bright yellow t-shirt. They sit in a kitchen with green panelling and a white floor. — Image caption, Kristin Hutchinson said structure to her sons day is so important

How did families describe the impact?

Michelle McCreadie's eight-year-old son Alfie has a severe learning disability and autism and is fed through a peg tube. She said there is little provision elsewhere suited to children with his level of need.

He's quite a complicated little lad but he's our shining star and we love him. There's not very much out there provided for children who have the kind of needs that Alfie has.

She said she noticed a marked change in her son's mood over the course of the week.

I've seen a huge difference in Alfie's behaviour, he's joyful this week.

He's not distressed, he's not upset, he's so happy to come here and spend time with the other children and have fun, as he should be able to in the summer time.

A woman with long blonde hair kneels down and smiles at the camera, alongside her son, who has short blonde hair and sits in a wheelchair, wearing a blue t-shirt. There is a white wall behind the pair. The woman, who wears a black t-shirt, is on the left. — Image caption, Michelle says the scheme has shown a huge change in her son Alfie's behaviour

Rebecca Guist's 10-year-old daughter Elsie, who is non-verbal, uses a wheelchair and needs one-to-one assistance around the clock, particularly enjoyed the sensory activities on offer.

Elsie is non-verbal and a wheelchair user and requires one-to-one assistance basically 24 hours a day, and she's wonderful.

There's nothing of this kind like it for our children. It's so important for our children to be seen in this environment that is social and also sensory-based.

She has her own wee set routine of what she likes to do when she's in here. It just makes the day a better day for everybody.

In a sports hall with a blue floor a woman in a white top smiles to the camera as she has her hand on the back of her daughters wheelchair. The woman, who is kneeling beside her daughter is on the left of her daughter. Her daughter looks of to the right of the camera as she sits wearing a lilac top. — Image caption, Rebecca Guist, whose daughter Elsie attends the scheme, said how important it is for her child to be in a social environment

Graeme Dickson's children, 14-year-old George, who has severe learning difficulties and uses a wheelchair, and 10-year-old Jessica, both took part in the week's activities.

To find out that this was taking place this week, was really quite a lifeline.

He said the scheme had also given his daughter a rare opportunity to form a friendship, something that is often difficult given the make-up of her school class.

My daughter Jessica made a new friend. In her school set there's actually only one pupil in the class that can speak.

she's made a new friend this week.

A man with short brown hair and a short brown beard and moustache smiles to the camera. — Image caption, Graeme Dickson has two children who both attend the scheme

What is the wider background to the SEN summer schemes dispute?

The Lisburn scheme was organised after wider concerns emerged earlier in 2026 about the availability of nursing staff for summer provision linked to special schools. According to a report from a national broadcaster, the Education Authority cancelled special-school summer programmes in March 2026 because it believed on-site nursing cover would be required and could not be guaranteed, while the Department of Health maintained that this level of cover was not necessary in every case.

The Northern Ireland Assembly was recalled during the Easter period over the disruption this caused, and the Education Authority's decision was subsequently reversed. Separately, a report cited by a regional broadcaster said the Health Minister was examining contingency plans in the wake of the cancellations, reflecting the ongoing dispute over how such care should be funded and delivered.

It was against this backdrop that Sensability and parents in Lisburn chose to organise their own scheme independently, aiming to give families certainty that their children would have somewhere to go and something to do over the summer holidays, rather than relying solely on decisions made centrally about school-linked provision.

Key Facts

The Sensability scheme ran at The Grove Activity Centre in Lisburn from 10 to 14 August 2026, according to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.
Almost 20 children and young people aged five to 19 with complex medical and learning needs took part.
The scheme was funded by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and delivered by the charity Sensability, with sensory activities run by Diverse Minds Events.
Stepping Stones Northern Ireland separately ran a six-week youth service summer scheme, also council-supported.
The scheme followed the Education Authority's cancellation and subsequent reversal of special-school summer programmes earlier in 2026 amid disputes over nursing provision.