Results 1,181-1,200 of 1,934 for speaker:Denise Mitchell
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: I thank Ms Bond for her presentation. I want to ask a few brief questions because there was much touched on there. Ms Bond has said that the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA, has 2,036 members. How does a foster carer become a member? Are the foster carers aware of the organisation? There are 4,523 foster carers so it appears to be nearly half and half. Perhaps Ms Bond could address...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: Five agencies do.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: It is not mandatory with Tusla. Tusla does not sign any foster carer up to the-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: When it was discussed with Tusla what response was the IFCA given?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: On the calls taken by the IFCA, what are the hours for the helpline?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: That is 11 a.m to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday. How many calls would relate to a child without a social worker or a foster carer without a link worker?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: I would appreciate that. There is no doubt that we have a recruitment crisis. It is important to acknowledge the hard work that social workers actually do.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: I have a personal experience of this. In my eyes social workers are amazing because not only are they the child's social worker, he or she also becomes the child's best friend. Children turn to them. It is exactly what the witness has said. It is not only about replacement: it is every aspect of the child's life. It is important that we hold on to staff. Reference was made to families...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: Is there a role for foster carers themselves? There is a lot of work for a social worker to do in the review stages. In some cases where voluntary care orders have been made, a review may take place twice or three times a year. Is there a role, therefore, for foster carers who sometimes feel some of this can be a box-ticking exercise and that they have no responsibility under it? When it...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: Ms Bond mentioned the strain on foster parents in respect of access and so on. Does the association receive many calls from foster carers with concerns about increased access? This also affects social workers. If it is a supervised situation, staff are required to supervise the additional access. Circumstances can vary. When a placement commences, there might be access for just one...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: It is important. I am not taking from the fact that children need to have access, but I am concerned that every access visit requires a report from the social worker. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: That social worker could have four access visits in different cases.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I think it gives us everything we need. They say they met recently with Jim Gibson from Tusla. Did they present this document to Tusla? If so what was its reaction?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: A lot of the submission is common sense. If I were Tusla and watching this debate then I would pick up the phone and have a chat with the association as soon as possible in order to address some of these issues. We have raised the issue of providing skilled administrative assistance with the Minister and she said she would look into the matter. Providing such assistance makes sense. We...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: The retention of staff is an important issue not only for Tusla as an organisation but particularly for children. Mr. McCarthy hit the nail on the head with his comments. There are children and families who have fantastic relationships with social workers and some of those relationships have continued after the children left care. Children are key and we need to retain the quality, skilled...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: Yes.
- Period Poverty: Motion (13 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: I welcome this motion and, in particular, recent moves by Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council to roll out free sanitary products in their buildings. I wish to highlight the issue of period poverty among those in direct provision centres. In November, the Minister for Justice and Equality told my colleague, Deputy Adams, in a response to a parliamentary question that the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: I thank the witnesses for coming before us today and for the opening statement. I have a few questions about the letter. We are getting conflicting stories in the media. This letter refers to cases A and B. Are they recent cases? By recent, I mean whether are we talking-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: In that case, we have contradictions on both sides. I am happy that Ms Creamer clarified that we are talking about 2018. The eight recommendations were mentioned. For the benefit of members of the public, will the witnesses walk us through the process when an allegation is made? What should Scouting Ireland do and what does Tusla do thereafter?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)
Denise Mitchell: What about case A?