Ms Kate Duggan:

Mr. Hone and Ms Mannion will be better placed to talk to the detail of it but, certainly, we have worked very hard within the agency to have a case allocation framework which looks at what are the roles and what are the statutory functions that can only be carried out by a social worker and what are the tasks or duties that can be undertaken as part of a multidisciplinary team. Earlier on, I talked about the fact that more than 60% of our referrals are referrals that need family support and involve supporting children welfare. A lot of their tasks and duties can be undertaken by a social care leader or worker.

What HIQA talked to were the systems of governance and oversight that need to be in place because it recognises that if we do not have the resources for every child to have an allocated social worker who needs one, we absolutely need an allocated professional under the governance of a social worker, working with that family, seeing that child and making sure that child is engaged with. Mr. Hone or Ms Mannion may be able to add more on the qualifications.