Ms Kate Duggan:

There are several things we need to be very careful about. It is certainly that if we are looking at the services we provide just through a social work lens. Obviously we need an increased number of social workers to meet our statutory obligations. We recognise this. What we also recognise, and one of the Deputies raised it earlier, is that some of the responses the children, families and young people require from us is not a social work response. What we are looking at now is diversifying our workforce. We have added an additional 120 front-line posts in the service in 2021 to meet increased demand. We will be looking to add the same number of posts again for front-line supports. These front-line supports are in domestic and sexual gender-based violence services, family support, early intervention and our therapeutic services. We certainly have recognised this and we are very grateful to the Minister and his Department for increased funding for therapeutic services this year.