Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 July 2012
422 Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of social workers she intends to take on as a result of the Children First guidelines; the number that will be taken on nationally and locally; when they will be taken on; the locations at which they will be based; the number of positions that will be filled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33254/12]
View answerThe Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, which I published in 2011, provides clarity and guidance for individuals and organisations in identifying and responding appropriately to child abuse and neglect. It also sets out what organisations that care for or work with children should do to ensure they are safe whilst in the care of the organisation. The Government has committed, as a priority, to the introduction of legislation to underpin Children First and the Heads of the Bill have been prepared and submitted to the Committee for Health and Children for their consideration.
The Deputy will be aware that Children First has operated on the basis of voluntary compliance since it was first published by the then Department of Health and Children in 1999. Significant resources have been put in place to support the implementation of Children First and in the case of the HSE and An Garda Síochána, Children First has formed an integral part of their existing operations and practices. The HSE has provided training, information and advice on the implementation of Children First throughout the HSE, voluntary and community sector. In addition to the existing structures in place to support Children First, significant additional resources have been provided to the HSE over the past three years to increase the number of social workers in the child welfare and protection area. The recruitment of these additional social workers was included in the Ryan Report Implementation Plan, as was the commitment to place Children First on a statutory basis. This additional resource will be of particular assistance to the HSE in driving forward the process of implementation of Children First.
Currently, under Children First, organisations are required to appoint a Designated Officer. The Designated Officer has responsibility that staff and volunteers are vetted, recruited properly and are trained in safe practices with children and in recognising signs of abuse and neglect. In the proposed legislation, it is intended that the Designated Officer along with certain named professionals will have statutory responsibility to report information about abuse to the HSE. The obligation to report abuse extends to abuse and neglect wherever it occurs, that comes to the attention of the Designated Officer in the course of his/her work or volunteer activities.
To assist Designated Officers and certain named professionals make a determination as to whether to report abuse, a "Guidance for Reporting of Abuse" is to be developed by my Department. This Guidance will deal with issues such as definitions, thresholds and appropriate routes for the reporting of abuse. The Guidance will assist designated officers and professionals named in the legislation, in their considering a number of factors to see if the concern reaches the threshold of a report under the legislation. This approach is intended to ensure that only those cases which require an assessment by the HSE are brought to its attention. As regards the allocation of resources to community based welfare services, this will be a matter to be considered both in the context of the establishment of the new Child and Family Support Agency and the Regulatory Impact Analysis which will accompany the preparation of relevant legislation.
The HSE is actively reviewing the impact of current vacancies, including recent retirements at national and regional level. The National Director of Children and Families Services, Gordon Jeyes, will apply his discretion over the course of the year to the filling of vacancies, having regard to identified need and subject to services being delivered within available resources, taking account of recent early retirements, identified need and subject to services being delivered within available resources.
The recruitment of the additional social workers is one element of a wider reform agenda within the HSE, through which I believe we can deliver better outcomes for children and families. This reform agenda will lead to the establishment of a new Child and Family Support Agency which will provide a dedicated focus on child protection and will support families in need.
