Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has reviewed the arrangements by which private contractors supply residential units for young persons who are subject to care orders by the State as a consequence they live in such care homes between the ages of 16 and 18; if the support received by such young persons is on a par with a Health Service Executive run unit; if not, the way it differs; the cost difference between the private and publically provided service; the support service that is received in each environment including transition arrangements once they reach 18 years; if follow up analysis has been done in relation to the outcomes for both scenarios; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41308/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Section 38 of the Child Care Act 1991, provides that the Heath Service Executive may make arrangements with suitable persons to ensure the provision of an adequate number of residential services for children in its care.

All children’s residential centres are inspected to ensure that the children living in the centre are receiving the care and protection that they require. The National Standards for Children’s Residential Centres provides a basis for consistently promoting quality of care in children's residential centres. T he HSE registers and inspects non-statutory voluntary and private children’s residential centres against these standards. A copy of the standards is available on my Department's website at www.dcya.ie.

The process of assessing standards of care in the centres is undertaken by a HSE inspector who visits the centre and gathers information through interviews and meetings with the centre management, staff members and young people, analysis of case files and centre records and contact with guardians, social workers and other professionals as appropriate. Centres are thoroughly inspected and where an inspection report identifies non-compliance with a regulation, the centre will not be registered and re-registered again until compliance has been achieved.

All young people who have had a care history with the HSE are entitled to an aftercare service based on their assessed needs. Section 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 places a statutory duty on the HSE to form a view in relation to each person leaving care as to whether there is a "need for assistance" and if it forms such a view, to provide services in accordance with the legislation and subject to resources. The basis of an aftercare service is an individual needs assessment which identifies a young person’s need for accommodation, financial support, social network support and training and education. The level of support required will vary for each individual from advice to accommodation to further education, employment or training and social support. The core eligible age range for aftercare is 18 years to 21 years. The HSE policy allows flexibility for this to be extended up to the age of 23 years to complete a course of education.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to improve the national standards for aftercare in respect of 18 to 23 year olds when they are moving from supported residential units to private rented accommodation; the action that is being undertaken; the Departments that are involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41309/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Section 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 places a statutory duty on the HSE to form a view in relation to each person leaving care as to whether there is a "need for assistance" and if it forms such a view, to provide services in accordance with the legislation and subject to resources. Under the 1995 Child Care Regulations , the HSE is required to consider a child's need for assistance in accordance with the provisions of Section 45, two years prior to the child leaving care.

All young people who have had a care history with the HSE are entitled to an aftercare service based on their assessed needs. The core eligible age range for aftercare is 18 years to 21 years. The HSE policy allows flexibility for this to be extended up to the age of 23 years to complete a course of education.

Some 90% of children in care are in foster care and a large number of these remain living with their foster families, supported financially by the HSE, on reaching 18 years of age. Many of these young people continue in education and training as planned. This remains a key component of aftercare for young people when they leave care.

The basis of an aftercare service is an individual needs assessment which identifies a young person’s need for accommodation, financial support, social network support and training and education. The level of support required will vary for each individual from advice to accommodation to further education, employment or training and social support.

The HSE National Aftercare Service is underpinned by a National Policy and Procedures Document which was developed in cooperation with the key stakeholders, including the voluntary sector agencies representing children in care and those involved in aftercare provision and my Department. The policy commits to promoting and achieving the best outcomes for young people leaving care and in ensuring consistency of support to these young people.

An intra-agency National Aftercare Implementation Group, comprised of NGO groups representing aftercare, child advocacy, foster care and other groups, was established by the HSE to monitor progress in implementing the national policy. This group aims to provide a standard, intra and inter-agency approach to the delivery of aftercare services in partnership with the wider voluntary and statutory sector. Discussions are ongoing on the development of a joint protocol between the HSE and the County and City Managers Association Housing sub group to improve the provision of appropriate and supported accommodation for care leavers. The experience in implementing the National Aftercare Policies and Procedures and the involvement of a range of important stakeholders in this process provides an opportunity to further improve policy and legislation in this area.

The Deputy will be aware that I am currently examining options, in association with the Attorney General, to strengthen legislation to make explicit the HSE's obligations in the provision of aftercare. I have asked Gordon Jeyes, National Director for Children and Family Services in the HSE to prepare a report on aftercare. This report will include, inter alia, the key findings of the group, examples of best practice, assessment criteria and effective aftercare supports. This report will guide the development of policy to underpin the strengthening of legislation for services in this important area.