Ms Nuala Ward:

We go to Oberstown every month. We also visit all the special care units as well. We have nothing but the greatest of respect. My background is as a residential care worker and social worker, so I have great respect for the people who show up every day and work with these young people, who are quite fantastic. Especially if they have an adult who believes in them it can be a game-changer for these young people. I am very well aware of the security staff issue. It was there a number of years ago as well. We have to imagine the perception for a child walking into this unit. You are there because you need to be looked after and you are met with security staff. The perception of that is already setting up a child to fail because one of the greatest preventers of a child being violent is your relationship, your attachment, your ability to talk them down and engage with them. That is one of the greatest safeguards you can do and highly skilled, well qualified social workers and social care staff are needed to do that.

It is really important we say we have deep concerns about the whole care system. There is a lot to talk about with special care and I totally respect that because these young people have great needs and have been detained much longer but we have engaged with the Department about its alternative care strategy. We need to value our kinship carers. We need to value our foster carers. I have been in foster care homes around the country. I do not like saying "foster carers". I need to say foster families because there are siblings, grannies, aunts and uncles. It is not just the foster carers. These are foster families who have done amazing work with these young people. We need to value them by showing them support, giving them financial support and making sure children are being heard. Every week we are getting in camera rules lifted for us to take concerns from GALs as they are so concerned. Judges are so concerned. Foster carers are so worried about some of these children. We have to value the people who are giving the support to these children and stop them ending up in such chaos that they are in Oberstown or in special care.