Results 7,481-7,500 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: The witnesses noted that foster carers do not have a link social worker. That suggests to me that there is a big gap. The foster carer and the child have the right to a social worker. Could the risk increase dramatically if the relationship between the carer and the child deteriorates in any way? If we do not have an accurate figure for how many of the 5,000 children in foster care...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: The theme here is recruitment and retention. We are trying to plug that gap, so to speak. If there is no link social worker for a particular family and issues arise for the foster carer or the child, the risk is offset by a mechanism allowing the foster carer to contact the IFCA via the helpline. Does recourse exist for a child where he or she is at risk? We assume the relationship is...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: If I understand Mr. Murphy correctly, some foster carers do not have a link social worker and as such they do not have access to supports as required. If I interpret that correctly, he is saying there are gaps. Does the IFCA have a numerical analysis of the gaps? How many children are without a link social worker at present?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: There is nobody in the system who is literally cast adrift.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: This discussion is all about developing our understanding of the dynamic. Who exactly is on the foster care committee?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: I refer again to recruitment and retention. The former Deputy Pat Rabbitte is now chair of Tusla. He came before the committee some weeks ago and the recruitment and retention of social workers was a key area that he wanted to discuss. In parallel with the IFCA, he also raised bridging education that would upskill social care staff. If people have identified this as an issue that has been...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: It was suggested that bursaries could be provided by Tusla.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: Demand for foster care places is increasing. The figures are approximately 6,000 in care and 5,000 in foster care. How do we encourage people to become foster carers or foster parents, to use that expression? Where is the gap and why are more people not taking up that challenge?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: Would Ms Bond characterise the challenges that foster carers face at the moment as being extremely difficult in the main? The perception I have is that for foster carers, the placement can be quite difficult if they do not have supports. Presumably foster carers are constantly fighting with the HSE and Tusla for additional services.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: I sincerely thank the witnesses for being here today. Five minutes do not do justice to the wider submission IFCA supplied to the committee and I sincerely thank them for articulating a way forward for us, as a committee, to deal with the issues of recruitment and retention. I also thank Ms McGuirk for defending her colleagues because we live in times where it is easy to beat up on the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: The local elections are coming if Mr. McCarthy wants to put on the jersey.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: I appreciate the point that Mr. McCarthy is making, but to assist us and notwithstanding the fact that I made a lot of points to him earlier, where for instance a case comes in, is triaged and goes on for further assessments, if the case goes to court and a care order is required, I have a number of questions arising from that. I will be as brief as possible, allowing for the amount of time...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: Okay.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: Is the social worker, however, subject to cross-examination?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: There is massive element of stress involved in that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: However, they are represented by a solicitor.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: My understanding is developing now. If the social worker goes into court he or she is represented in an adversarial system. Presumably, the social worker historically would have made the assessment and made a recommendation that the child should go into whatever setting is the most appropriate. Historically, that would have been accepted by the judge of the day. I am assuming this and Mr....
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: I have several more questions.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: That is fine.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Seán Sherlock: They are publicly tendered so it is a matter of public record, with all due respect.