Ms Siobhan Greene:

I thank the committee for inviting us to provide information on our new parental advocacy and information service for parents of children in care. Barnardos provides trauma-informed services to vulnerable children and their families who have been affected by traumatic life situations such as: poverty; abuse; parental mental health challenges; neglect; separation; bereavement; and parental addiction. We offer a range of early intervention and targeted services in over 50 service locations in family homes, schools and communities. Our services are needs-led, outcomes-focused and based on the latest evidence and research.

The Children’s Rights Alliance, CRA, issued a tender in November 2021 for the establishment of a service to support parents of children in care, with the selection of the provider overseen by an advisory group of independent experts. Service specifications as set out in the tender were to support the advocacy and information needs of parents of children in care. Barnardos applied and was awarded the contract in June 2022. The service is funded by Tusla but a CRA project oversight group has been established to maintain independence of the service from Tusla. Pilot site locations were selected on the basis of the highest rates of children in care per 1,000 children, namely Dublin north city, Wexford and Waterford.

There are three distinct elements to the service. The first is an advocacy service for parents of children in care in the areas I mentioned - Dublin north city, Wexford and Waterford. The aim of this strand is to empower and enable parents to actively participate in child care proceedings relating to their child. The specific service will differ for each parent depending on the duration of the care order and different pathways through care, among other things. The service will work in partnership with all stakeholders to provide parents with information to understand what is happening now, the rationale for previous decisions and to help them contribute to future plans. It will also advocate for fair process; help parents understand their rights and responsibilities; support parents to be strong, grounded and solution-focused; support parents in strengthening their relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers; and prepare them for and support them in attendance at meetings and court hearings and signpost them to therapeutic and other services.

The second strand is an information and advice service for all parents of children in care across the country. This will be provided through a variety of channels. First, a dedicated web presence will be developed to give information to parents through a variety of media including animations, videos, resource material and tip sheets, and developing a route map of care proceedings with key points of information. We have also established a helpline, which is available on Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and this will increase to five mornings per week once the full staff complement is in place in the service in January. We will also develop a series of workshops and webinars for parents.

The third aspect of the service is robust monitoring and evaluation. A systematic approach to monitoring and evaluation will be established in order that we can observe trends, track progress and consider achievement of sustainable outcomes. The purpose of monitoring these trends and data so carefully is to easily track the success of the service; whether the service is of high quality; if parents’ needs are being met in a timely manner; and if there are adjustments that need to be made quickly to make sure the service is more effective. An impact evaluation will also be completed to establish the outcomes of the service and its impact on the service users and the wider system.

The service has been in the process of recruitment since June 2022. When fully staffed in January 2023 we will have four parent advocates. This will include two in Dublin, one in Waterford and one in Wexford. We will also have one information and advice worker, one administrator and one service manager, Ms Niamh McCarthy, who is with me. The service has been in operation for five weeks so it is only in its infancy. We started on 17 October 2022 on a phased basis, connected to when staff are available to start. To date we have received 11 referrals for the advocacy service. Nine of these are currently open and two are completed. There has been a mixture of self-referrals and third-party referrals from social workers, solicitors and probation. We have received six contacts to our information and advice service to date.

The establishment of this service is a positive development to ensure parents can be active participants in what can be a challenging aspect of their lives. Many of the parents of children in care have experienced unresolved childhood traumas and have multiple and complex needs. These traumas impact on parents’ abilities to engage or respond appropriately in their child’s care. Parents of children in care can feel powerlessness, shame, anger, frustration, isolation and exclusion. Parents want to be included and involved in matters pertaining to their children. Our advocacy and information service is designed to address these needs, making sure information is shared in creative ways, removing obstacles to maximize active participation and seeking to create opportunities to empower the parent’s voice. The ultimate aim is to improve the quality of life for children in care by improving the engagement of their parents in the child care system.