Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the challenges facing our child welfare and protection services and the pressures facing social work teams around the country. The service is operating in a climate of increased demand, particularly in the area of child neglect. Since 2006 the number of referrals on child protection and welfare reports has almost doubled from 21,000 in 2006 to 40,000 in 2012. It is not that long ago when there were 240 referrals to child protection services in one year. The increase in 2012 was almost 10,000 above the 2011 level. In addition, the numbers of children in care have increased by 21% from 5,307 in 2007 to 6,421 as of April 2013. By international standards, the numbers of children in care are relatively low. They do not exceed international norms and we have the advantage that most of our children in care are in foster homes as opposed to residential settings. That situation has been reversed dramatically in recent years.

The latest HSE employment census indicates that the number of whole-time equivalent social workers employed in the HSE children and families service area was 1,397 at the end of June 2013. The census numbers reflect the outcome of a process of re-classification of social workers within the HSE into individual care groups, including children and families, to support the process of establishing the new Child and Family Agency.

Child Welfare and Protection services have faced particular challenges in recent months arising from a high number of vacancies due to maternity leave and, to a lesser degree, sick leave. In response to these pressures a new panel of professionally qualified social workers was established in June 2013 to allow for the filling of vacancies in social work teams. I am advised that the HSE has recently filled 114 vacancies, with a further 102 posts are at various stages in the recruitment process. Implementation of the provisions of the Haddington Road agreement will also assist HSE Children and Families in responding to current demand through additional working hours, revision of overtime arrangements, flexible working arrangements, revised work practices and other initiatives. It is important to note also that due to the importance of child welfare and protection responsibilities the current recruitment moratorium does not apply to the social worker grade.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

All Child Protection and Welfare referrals are managed through the HSE children and families standardised business process. Such reports of concern for the safety and well-being of a child come into the duty intake team for assessment. All staff receiving such a referral are trained in the duty system and are obliged to treat seriously all child welfare and child protection concerns whatever their source. Once a child protection referral is received and screened by the HSE, a decision will be taken as to whether an initial assessment is required. Following initial assessment decisions will be made on the type of intervention required, including drawing up a child protection plan and family support interventions, as well as decisions regarding supervision orders or whether a child may need to be taken into care for a short term or longer period. The child protection plan will have identified the key risk factors in the case such as the risk itself; how it will be reduced, including specific actions; and how the agencies working with the family will measure the reduced risk within a specific time-scale. A supervision order is sought from the courts if the family does not co-operate with the child protection plan.

As part of the reform process within children and family services, the development of the local area pathway approach is an important new tool. This approach is about the creation of a collaborative network of community, voluntary and statutory providers so as to improve access to support services for children and their families and the operation of a case co-ordination process for families with additional need who require multi-agency intervention but who do not meet the threshold for referral to social work after screening at intake. In addition to the identification of needs process in Sligo-Leitrim and the Limerick identification needs process, a number of areas in the country are advancing their implementation of the local area pathway model, including. Waterford and Carlow-Kilkenny.

The above initiatives are illustrative of the substantial programme of work underway to increase the effectiveness of our child protection services in meeting growing demand due to demographic and societal factors.

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