Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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170. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which it has been possible to improve and streamline the alert system in respect of children reported to be at risk at whatever location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38978/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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All Child Protection and Welfare referrals are managed through the HSE Children and Families Standardised Business Process.

All 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.

The report and response nature of referrals is reflected in the following process:

Step 1 - the screening staff deal with the information reported and preliminary enquiries are concerned with determining an appropriate response.

Step 2 - referral process - the screen step is concerned with screening out those enquiries, reports, requests for service etc that do not belong with Child Protection & Welfare Teams. Once it is agreed by the duty team leader that it is a correct referral it is allocated immediately for an Initial Assessment.

Step 3 - the initial assessment is a time-limited process to allow the gathering of sufficient information on the needs and risks within a case so that informed decisions and recommendations can be made and actions that will result in better outcomes for children are taken.

The duty team leader together with members of the team will deem the information received as:

Level 1 - child and family must be seen immediately.

Level 2 - child and family must be seen within 3 days

Level 3 - child and family be seen within 7 days

In identifying Risk it is the 'professional judgement' of the duty team leader to assess if immediate action is required. Risk is assessed if the child is at 'ongoing significant risk'. This is to be decided based on the information received on the referral -

1) The seriousness of the abuse reported;

2) The likely level of risk to the future safety and welfare of the child; and

3) The degree of professional confidence in the information that either the abuse has occurred and is likely to be repeated or that the child is at immediate risk.

Risk analysis continues throughout the 21 days allocated to complete the assessment.

All information on the extensive process is available on the HSE website under the Standardised Business Process documentation.

The full implementation of the Business Process continues to enhance the processing of all referrals throughout the country.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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171. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is satisfied regarding the adequacy of resources to ensure an immediate follow up to cases of children reported as being at risk of abuse from whatever source; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38979/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Since establishment, I and my Department have the responsibility for the welfare of children and young adults. The resources associated with those services include those attaching to the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board both of which are already under my remit. By agreement with my colleague the Minister for Health, the Child Protection and Welfare services of the HSE has been operating as a shadow agency in preparation for the transition to the new Child and Family Agency. The resources relating to these services and any other services proposed for transfer will also come under my remit. Processes regarding the transfer of the related staff are largely finalised and the final budgetary transfers will be subject to an agreed due diligence process. Control of this Voted expenditure will transfer to my Department on establishment day.

There is no doubt that this is a substantial programme of reform which does not end on establishment day. The setting up of the Child and Family Agency is at the heart of the Government's reform of child and family services. The Government decided that it was essential and appropriate that child welfare and protection services transfer from the Health Service Executive to a new, dedicated Agency. The establishment of a single agency incorporating key children's services will provide a focus for the major reforms already underway within Children and Family Services. In addition to this large scale structural reform programme, the HSE Child and Family Directorate is also implementing a significant programme of ongoing reforms. These reforms at operational level respond in detail to many identified gaps and changes needed to ensure a more consistent, effective and quality service delivery.

I also want to 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 of child protection and welfare reports has almost doubled from 21,000 in 2006 to 40,000 in 2012. The increase in 2012 was almost 10,000 above the 2011 level. Child Welfare and Protection services have also been faced with particular challenges over 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. A total of 112 vacant social worker posts have been approved for filling from this panel with the position being kept under constant review. The latest HSE employment census indicates that the number of whole-time equivalent (WTE) social workers employed in the HSE Children and Families service area was 1,397 at the end of June 2013.

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.