Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise the serious concerns surrounding the report produced last weekend regarding deficiencies in the foster care service in the Cork region.

In 2009, HIQA announced it would inspect foster care services in four local areas in the HSE region, covering Cork city and county, north Lee and south Lee and north Cork and west Cork. These four areas were selected because they share a managerial operation for the provision of foster care. We have heard a lot in the media about children who are vulnerable and need a lot of care. We need to know the services of the State are there to ensure their protection. I acknowledge the report states that where services have been in contact with children, the results and outcomes are positive. The results and outcomes are good. The links with foster parents are there but there are serious deficiencies and gaps in the services. From reading the report, it would appear that most of these gaps come about as a result of inadequate staff provision in terms of those working directly with children and those supervising the staff. The report examined a sample of 48 children. In September last year, 690 children were placed with 452 foster carers in these areas. Some 36%, or 249, were placed with relative foster carers or family members and the balance, 64%, were placed with non-relatives.

There are some alarming facts in the report. At the beginning, HIQA was told that all children had been assigned a social worker. However, during the inspection fieldwork it became evident to inspectors that all children in care did not have an assigned social worker and that the non-allocation of social workers related to vacant social worker posts. This is particularly evident in the city areas of the north and south Lee of Cork city. Some 452 carers were approved as carers and 48 of those had not been assessed by a link social worker. Of the carers who had been officially approved, approximately 50 of them had not been properly assessed to ensure their suitability as carers.

Of the 43 children who were inspected in the sample group, 28% did not have a care plan and social workers had not visited approximately 33% of them for several years. These are very vulnerable children and we entrust their care to the HSE. It is responsible for their care, safeguarding their protection and ensuring that the correct governance and management structures are in place. There are numerous recommendations in the report. Many of them could be delivered if there was adequate staffing in the region. Does the embargo currently in place relate to those staffing posts?

I commend HIQA on the report which has shone a light on the inadequacies in foster care services in this region. I am sure we have come across the issue before and that it exists on a national basis, but I am particularly concerned with the results and outcome of the inspection into the Cork region.

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the opportunity to reply to Deputy Clune. In general, the HSE is required under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children and there are a number of procedures under which the HSE take children into care. Foster care is the main source of alternative care provided by the HSE for children in care. As of July 2010, there were 5,877 children in the care of the State, the vast majority of whom were in foster care, one third with relatives. Government policy reflects the importance of the family and of a family setting for the overall well-being of children.

HIQA was established by the Government in order to ensure that there would be higher standards and that those standards would be met by the providers of services, including the HSE. HIQA has done an invaluable job in the various inspections and reports it has provided - I agree with Deputy Clune in that respect. It has shone a light into corners that had not been illuminated for many years. In September 2009, HIQA commenced an inspection of four areas in the Dublin north area. Its report in July 2010 highlighted very serious deficits in two of those areas. The deficits included the failure to provide an allocated social worker. Where social workers were allocated, however, there were positive findings regarding care planning and in the main children were receiving a good standard of care by dedicated and committed foster careers. The HSE submitted action plans to address all the issues raised. The recommendations are being implemented now and I had a meeting with the HSE this morning at which we went through some of the action plans which are being prepared in respect of Dublin and the findings in regard to Cork. Regular meetings have taken place between HIQA and the HSE since October 2009 to monitor and review progress. Inspectors will undertake follow up inspections to ensure the recommendations have been implemented.

There were calls during the week for a national audit of foster care. In fact, it began in 2009. The HSE undertook a national audit of compliance and published its report in May 2010. The audit showed that the majority of children were in receipt of services which were fully compliant with legislation, standards and good practice. However, in some areas children were not receiving an adequate statutory service. From the HSE's audit, it would seem that the problems encountered in Dublin north east were the most serious. An action plan is being implemented which will address the recommendations arising from the national audit.

The Ryan report, which has been adopted by the Government, recommended the recruitment of an additional 270 social workers by the end of 2011. The HSE has advised that 200 of these will be filled in the current year. The latest available information, which I received this morning, is that 177 have been filled and contracts have issued and further 23 posts have been accepted and are being processed. Some 54 of these posts are in the HSE Dublin north east area. A total of 36 staff have already commenced with a further six due to take up their posts in October and the remainder scheduled to be in post by the end of 2010.

On 27 September 2010 a report into four local health areas in HSE south, which Deputy Clune mentioned, was published by HIQA. The inspection concludes that there was evidence of good practice, and while there are deficiencies, in most cases it is due to the absence of an allocated social worker or the failure to assess foster carers and the absence of a care plan. However, national standards were met in regard to children having a positive sense of identity, maintaining contact with families and friends, and also children's rights. As part of the inspection process, birth parents of children in foster care were consulted and all told inspectors that they believed their children were safe in their foster care placements. Moreover, children told inspectors they had someone they could speak with if they had a worry or a concern.

All of the children in the sample group of 43, of whom inspectors met 34, were placed in or near their local communities. This facilitated maintaining friendships and continuity in school. Inspectors also found that siblings were placed together. In one instance, the inspector found that five siblings were placed with three general carers who were themselves related. This arrangement allowed for ongoing and informal contact between the children in a normal family context. Inspectors found that social workers showed a good awareness of the need for children to have contact with their parents and extended family and went to great lengths to ensure this occurred.

This is not to say that standards were met in all areas. There was a problem where the formal assessment of 48 of the 452 foster cares on the panel had not been concluded, as Deputy Clune pointed out. It is important to say that an initial assessment, including Garda and medical checks, had occurred. Inspectors also found that 25 of the 690 children in care did not at the time of the inspection have access to a social worker as their allocated social worker was on maternity or other leave. To answer the Deputy's question on the recruitment moratorium, social workers are exempt from it but in addition HSE south will receive pro rata its relevant number of staff. The HSE south has recently recruited new social workers. A total of 54 of the social worker posts prioritised for 2010 were allocated to HSE south. A total of 45 staff have already commenced employment with the remaining ten posts scheduled to be filled by the end of 2010.

While I understand fully the need to identify and resolve the problems for children in foster care, it is also essential that recognition is given to the thousands of foster carers nationally who, on a daily basis, give love and care to children in need, and through the stability of their homes and lives help children to grow and develop with confidence and hope. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the good work across the majority of foster care services and to support the efforts of the HSE, foster carers and HIQA inspectors in striving to achieve the highest of standards in this area. I also wish to put on the record the work done by the Irish Foster Carers Association and the Irish Association of Young People in Care in advocating on behalf of children in care and giving them a voice.