Mr. Cormac Quinlan:

I will speak about one of the themes in the report. Systemic issues have been mentioned with particular reference to the screening exercise. Screening has two main goals. When we get a referral, we have to gather information, analyse it quickly and make a judgment on what we should do in respect of the matter. Obviously, we check what information we already hold in respect of that family. That is the task of screening. One of the most important goals of screening is to identify children who are at immediate risk at that point in time and to respond to that. It is stated clearly in the HIQA report and every other inspection report that we do this consistently well all of the time. Beyond that, we look at what response is needed in other cases and how we prioritise those cases. In 2015, when we reviewed our system to identify the problems with regard to screening and prioritisation, we identified that the existence of inconsistencies and delays in this respect was an issue for us. Since February of this year, we have been applying the national approach to practice at the front door during the analysis stage. This has allowed us to bring much better consistency and rigour to the process. We know that gathering information, supplying good analysis and judgment and involving everyone in that process is really important in effective child protection systems. As part of our efforts to embed that approach to practice at the front door, we have completed four pilot sites - one in each region around the country - since February of this year. We are applying the methodology at the front door. We are looking at unallocated cases in those areas and at new cases coming into the system. Consultants are sitting beside social workers as they take calls. They are supporting them in using the national approach to practice. We are planning to roll out this piece of work across all the other areas by the end of this year. It will help us to decide what we take in or do not take in. It will help us to get the right service to the right child for the right reason. We are embedding that. During the work we have done to date, staff have been telling us that this approach is leading to more timely responses to priority cases and better analysis from the first call that is received. When we have been doing this work, we have seen a 30% average reduction in non-allocated cases. Relationship-based work is first and foremost when social workers are engaging with families and finding networks for children from the outset. Safety planning is beginning earlier as well. We are seeing real improvements in what is happening as part of the screening and prioritisation exercise. New revised guidance for the entire service will come out of that work.