Ms Jacinta Swann:

All the social workers who do these assessments have a team leader who would review their reports. For parents, the turnover of social workers is the biggest issue. They build a relationship with one social worker and feel they are on solid ground and working on the issues. However, some will deal with seven or eight different people. I see the turnover of social workers within Tusla as a bigger issue than the question of their life experience. Between the training they receive, the supervision of a team leader and the sign-off systems that are in place, there certainly are checks and balances along the way. The turnover is the most significant issue for parents.