Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

241. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her response to HIQA's recent annual overview report on the inspection and regulation of children’s services in 2015, which found a varying degree of inconsistencies in the quality of service provision for children and young persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15186/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the findings of the Health Information and Quality Authority’s (HIQA) 2015 overview report of their independent inspections of the Child and Family Agency, Tusla child protection and children in care services. The report stated that, overall, HIQA found standards across all three areas of residential, foster care and child protection to be good. There was good social work practice with children and families in foster care and the child welfare and protection services. HIQA identified that Tusla required more social workers and needed to increase standardisation of services around the country to ensure that all children received an equitable provision of care. The report also noted the need for continuing development of national policies and ICT projects.

HIQA identified a shortage of social workers across many inspections. The level of funding provided to Tusla for 2016 has significantly strengthened Tusla’s capacity to recruit more social workers and to deliver a high level of care for children. The Government has provided Tusla with funding of over €676 million in 2016 - this is an increase of €38 million on the provision for 2015 and this increase was widely acknowledged as representing a significant strengthening of Tusla’s base funding level. The additional resources provided gives the Agency greater capacity to respond to identified risk and to address areas of unmet need.

It is a positive sign that HIQA inspectors found that staff responded to the needs of children and focussed on their rights and welfare. Children were encouraged to take part in decisions on their care, had access to advocates and were helped to keep positive attachments with their families. Children told inspectors that their lives had improved through contact with child protection social workers.

Tusla will continue its recruitment campaign to recruit the social work and social care staff to support families and to protect vulnerable children. The majority of HIQA findings relate to standards that are deemed to require improvement. Tusla reports to my Department on the action plans that they have put in place following each of the inspections to deal with problems and areas needing quality improvement.

Tusla is engaged in a programme of service reform to ensure that a consistent quality of care is available to children and families across the country. I am confident that this process and the major recruitment campaign currently underway, will see a significant improvement in all child welfare and protection services.