Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Through the development and implementation of the knowledge management strategy, my objectives are to ensure that the best possible information and knowledge is readily available and can be shared and used to fulfil policy, management and operational needs,thereby enabling the optimal delivery of children's services; to transform the way child welfare and protection stakeholders work, with a view to improving service delivery and outcomes for children; to better facilitate interagency co-operation aimed at helping policy makers, managers and practitioners; and to make sustainable changes, which will have national impact when implemented throughout the country.

I have made this initiative a top priority, to enable the effective reform and reorganisation of social work and related services for children and families delivered by the HSE. To date, policy makers, HSE senior managers, front-line service managers and practitioners, academics and other bodies have engaged actively with my office in outlining the information and knowledge streams currently in place, in identifying the gaps and weaknesses and in making recommendations for improvements.

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