Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Feb 2002

Vol. 549 No. 2

Written Answers. - Child Care Services.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

111 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of social workers who have been designated to the Ballymun area; the number working there; the number of social workers short of capacity who are in Ballymun; the impact the shortfall is having on services locally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6261/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

It is assumed that the Deputy's question refers to child care and family support services. Responsibility for the provision of social work services in the Ballymun area rests with the Eastern Regional Health Authority. My Department has therefore asked the regional chief executive of the Eastern Regional Health Authority to investigate the issues raised by the Deputy in relation to Ballymun and to reply to her directly in this regard.

I am aware of the current difficulties in relation to the recruitment and the retention of qualified and experienced social work staff. Developments currently under way both at national level and at individual health board level will, I believe, help to alleviate current staffing pressures. These developments will result in improvements in working conditions for staff. A national social work forum has been established to progress a number of key personnel issues of interest to social workers including those arising from the recommendations contained in the report of the expert group on various health professions. Developments include the creation of a new grade of senior social work practitioner and the upgrading of single handed and certain specialised posts. A national network of practice placement co-ordinators is planned and it is intended to undertake a workload management study in the near future. In addition, approximately 30 additional social work training places have been created since October 2001, and it is planned to increase the number of places by in excess of 85 to be phased in from 2002.

Particular difficulties arise in the area health boards in the eastern region in filling posts for city centre areas, areas of high deprivation and those areas close to rural health board areas. The availability and cost of accommodation in the eastern region is also a factor. Recruitment campaigns in the eastern region are ongoing. In addition, all health boards in the region have adopted a pro-active approach to deployment of staff by employing access workers to assist with access visits between children and families in order to free up social work time; deploying non-social work posts such as community child care workers, family support workers and administrative support where possible to free up social work time; and establishing a management-staff-union group to look at the role of the social worker with a view to establishing what duties can be performed by other disciplines and how the social worker can be better assisted in delivering services. I will continue to keep arrangements regarding the adequacy of social work services in the child care and family support area under review.