| | | You are here: Home >> Press Section >> No allocated social worker for 20% of children in care - HSE report | | | NO ALLOCATED SOCIAL WORKER FOR 20% OF CHILDREN IN CARE - HSE REPORT
| | Reproduced from The Irish Times | | 4th November 2009 | | | One in five children in care does not have an allocated Social Welfare according to a damning new Report. A review of the adequacy of services for children of families across the State shows the situation in relation to the percentage of children being left without Social Workers is deteriorating. While some 87.3% of children in care in 2007 had an allocated Social Worker, this dropped back to 80% by the end of 2008. All children in care under current Child Care Regulations should have an allocated Social Worker. Some 5,347 children were in care at the end of last year.
The main reasons children were admitted to care last year were because parents were unable to cope, child neglect, family members were abusing drugs/alcohol, the child behavioural problems are there was physical abuse. The Report compiled by the Health Service Executive (HSE) also indicates many children in care do not have a written care plan, again a breach of the Regulations. Overall just 66% of children in care currently have a written care plan. Furthermore, while the HSE is obliged to inspect all pre-school facilities once a year, the Report points out that just over half these facilities were inspected last year. The number of pre-school advisory visits undertaken by the HSE was down 29%. | | | | The review of adequacy of services for children with families, 2008 just published shows huge discrepancies between allocation of Social Workers in different areas. While Galway has a child population of 55,000, it has an approved Social Worker staff sealing of 29 compared to Sligo/Leitrim which has an approved staff sealing of 38 for a population of 22,000 children. Dublin North in contrast is approved for 36 Social Workers for a child population of over 55,000. In terms of child protection the Report says the number of confirmed cases of child abuse rose by 9.4% last year to 2,164. It also says more than 24,600 reports of child abuse, neglect and welfare issues were received by Social Work Departments last year, up from 23,200 Reports this year before. All Reports are screened by child care professional-social workers. In some local areas waiting lists of cases are maintained it adds. | | | | The Report also reveals that 22 unaccompanied minors went missing from HSE Care last year. Approximately 7% of unaccompanied minors dealt with by the HSE have gone missing since 2000. The numbers going missing have been steadily falling with much less than half the number going missing in 2008 (22) than in 2004 (66). Furthermore the Report says 234 children appear to be homeless last year. Aidan Waterstone, national specialist with the HSE Children and Family Services said the reason fewer children in care had an allocated Social Worker in 2008 could be to do with Social Workers going on maternity leave and not being replaced. He added the HSE was working to ensure greater regional equity of Social Workers. | | | | |  For further information, please contact Marion Campbell Solicitors by calling (01) 475 9345, or by filling out an on-line enquiry form. |
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