James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Troy mentioned the issue of the GALs. This has also concerned Tusla, the Department and me. We have examined different systems in Europe, the UK and Northern Ireland, in particular. We have put proposals to Tusla, which are being examined currently. The agency's officials are exercised about this issue. There is no doubt that much greater regulation is needed in this area. For instance, regulation of who can be a GAL is needed. Currently, anyone can be a GAL. We are examining this and proposals are in train. As is only right, given the agency will implement them, Tusla will examine the practicalities around that. The Deputy is correct that this is an important issue and we are acting on it.

Social workers were mentioned. Deputy Troy said the chief executive officer is involved. The chief operations officer, Mr. Fred McBride, is involved in the social worker issue. We have an obligation to ensure resources are apportioned appropriately across the system by the agency and, therefore, it has a process in place to review vacancies as they arise and to determine, for example, where and when these should be filled. Reallocation of posts may be required. The Deputies are correct about turnover and about staff on maternity leave. At the end of 2013, Tusla employed 1,396 whole-time equivalent social workers, an increase of 29 or 2.1% since its establishment. A total of 164 social workers have been recruited since the agency was established and a further 219 are at various stages of recruitment. At 6.7%, the turnover of social workers in the agency's first year of operation is less than international comparators. A total of 112 left the agency in 2014 - 20 retirements and 92 for other reasons such as career breaks. Turnover in this area is partly a reflection of the challenging nature of the work because it involves working closely with extremely vulnerable and marginalised children.

The age and gender of the profession is also a factor, as the Deputy said, with some teams under pressure due to maternity leave. A total of 92 social workers are currently on maternity leave. We have a pilot maternity leave scheme whereby temporary workers can be offered a 12 month contact to cover maternity leave and, in addition to ongoing recruitment, the Child and Family Agency is progressing a number of initiatives to address staff shortages. These include the pilot maternity leave scheme, where temporary staff can be offered a 12 month contract to cover maternity leave. In recognition of the challenging nature of the work, new entrants and graduates have a reduced workload for their first year with opportunities for regular supervision with experienced practitioners. In addition, Tusla works with agencies providing family supports to ensure the agency's social work teams can focus on the children and families in greatest need of their specific skills. The agency is preparing a workforce development plan for completion by the end of the summer and further measures to support staff retention will be considered.

The agency employs 3,452.54 whole-time equivalent staff, which is an increase of 1.2%. The increase in the number of social workers, therefore, has been greater than the overall staff increase. More than 83% of all staff are in the health and social care professional stream, which includes 1,396 social workers, 1,161 social care staff, 176 family support workers and 72 education and welfare officers. I have no reason to believe that any replacement has to be approved by the chief executive officer of the organisation but I will double check that I am not giving the Deputy incorrect information.

Deputy Troy is concerned that the lead-in time for the Children First legislation will be overly long. That will not be the case. At the end of December I wrote to the agency through the Department in my performance statement seeking a business plan for 2015, which is expected later this week. I then have 30 days to respond and the process specifically included at my request a stipulation that Children First be addressed in terms of preparation and planning. We, therefore, do not anticipate there will be the same problem to which the Deputy alluded under another Act.

The Deputy also raised the issue of inspections. I have been at pains to reassure the sector in this regard. I do not want additional red tape and people to be tied up with unnecessary administration. I have spoken to the Minister for Education and Skills about this. There will not be a duplication of skills. The inspectors of the Department of Education and Skills will focus on education and learning in the preschool year, which is not part of the current regulations. Tusla and the Department's inspectorate will work together to make sure the process works well and in collaboration. It is the intention that the inspectors will be semi-contemporaneous in order that there will not be loads of different inspections with different personnel visiting schools. I understand that the Department will consult the sector and will provide information between February and June.

The Deputy specifically mentioned the concern around the risk to the child. These are the experts at assessing risk and I made inquiries regarding all those tragic scenarios that pertained last year to ascertain whether social workers had been allocated and each case had one. I am sorry that tragic scenarios will continue to occur because that is the reality of life. It is not possible to prevent them, any more than we can prevent all instances of illness and unfortunate outcomes. The open high priority cases are a mixture of cases where the initial referral determines a child protection concern and they need further assessment. Those who are further along the process of assessment where the early work was done by a duty social worker now need an allocated social worker.

They also include children in care where a social worker has left or been moved. This is a difficulty. I have spoken to children's groups about this and they mention this in terms of what they do not like about care. They do not like moving place and having their social worker changed. However, as we all know, staff move around and there is very little we can do about that. People make career choices. The agency is very exercised about trying to maintain continuity of care for young people. It is very important.

There are cases awaiting allocation to an assigned social worker, and these are reviewed regularly by the responsible team leader and principal social worker pending allocation. They are managed through a duty system which will respond, as appropriate, within the available resources. Some long-term child protection teams will operate this system, where cases transfer from duty and there is not the capacity to allocate immediately due to existing caseload levels or staff vacancies. Each area has internal protocols for managing these cases, with team leaders holding responsibility for cases until they are allocated.

We have been informed separately that managing cases on duty involves telephone calls to referrers or teachers who see the child regularly to check on the situation. In some cases the duty social work team, which changes periodically, will call directly to the child or family to determine the current situation.

Cases which are high priority are defined as follows: initial assessment of child protection concern; further assessment of child protection concern; awaiting child protection case conference; a child subject to a child protection plan or a child subject to court proceedings; a child in care with non-approved carers; a child in care less than six months; a child in care in an unstable placement; and a child at high risk due to mental health or anti-social problems. The majority of the cases in this category are awaiting further assessment of a child protection concern. This is a dynamic process. Cases are not left without any further assessment taking place or without anybody watching over the situation. None the less, we are challenged in terms of trying to attract new social workers. The issues of recruitment and the time it takes to recruit staff were mentioned, which we need to address.

The school completion programme was mentioned. It is an area of considerable importance and one which can bring children back into mainstream education. We are determined to see it protected. As with any service, there are areas where things can be improved and we can get more value for money. The ESRI is compiling a report on this and comes with a clean pair of hands. We will await the outcome of its findings and consider them in detail. I have already covered ECCE inspections.