As part of the ongoing ‘change agenda’ in Child and Family services I am committed to developing the capacity of our child protection services to appropriately and effectively address the needs of children who present in emergency situations outside of normal working hours.
Two out-of-hours pilot projects, one in Donegal and the other in Cork, were commenced by the HSE in 2011. The Donegal project started mid-year and the Cork project started in the third quarter. Both projects were internally evaluated by the HSE, which then commissioned an independent external assessment, undertaken by Trinity College Dublin. Data provided by the HSE in relation to the pilot evaluation period in Donegal from April to December 2011 indicates that a total of 8 calls were recorded. One call related to a child not being picked up from school, one an alleged rape and the remaining were categorised as 'other', including one public order concern. In three of the eight calls, the child was removed by Gardai under Section 12 of the Child Care Act, 1991. Data provided by the HSE in respect of the Cork pilot project from September 2011 to April 2012 indicates that 40 referrals were made to the service. Of these, Section 12 was invoked in 23 cases. Data in respect of monthly activity or in respect of repeat users of the service is not maintained by the HSE.
It should be noted that at present the Health Service Executive provides out-of-hours emergency services for children at risk in the greater Dublin area through the Crisis Intervention Service, and outside the greater Dublin area through the Emergency Place of Safety Service.
The Crisis Intervention Service provides out-of-hours emergency social work assistance to young people aged under 18 years. The service operates across the greater Dublin area (Counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow). Referrals are made by service providers outside of normal working hours i.e. Gardai, hospital and ambulance service personnel.
In relation to activity data for the crisis intervention service, information provided by the HSE indicates that in 2009 there were 830 referrals to the service, of which 441 were males and 389 were female and that in 2010 there were 856 referrals to the service, of which 426 were males and 430 were female. In 2011 there were 1,076 referrals to the service, of which 179 individual young people accessed emergency accommodation, of whom 100 were male and 79 were female.
The Emergency Place of Safety Service, operates outside the greater Dublin area, whereby Gardai can access an emergency placement for children found to be at risk out-of-hours. This service involves the placement of a child in a family setting until the next working day, when the local social work service assumes responsibility for the case. As part of this service Gardai have access to advice and information from a non-HSE social work off-site resource which is provided on a contract basis.
As regards usage of the Emergency Place of Safety Service, which commenced in June 2009, information provided by the HSE indicates that in the period June to December 2009 the service received a total of 166 referrals, of which 66 led to a placement with the place of safety service. In 2010, a total of 288 referrals were received, of which 172 led to a placement. In 2011, a total of 369 referrals were received, of which 253 led to a placement and to date in 2012 the service has received 266 referrals, of which 186 have led to placements.
In the light of the evaluation of the two pilot out of hours initiatives and experience with those other services mentioned above which operate outside normal working hours, the HSE has been asked to examine an appropriate model for the provision of out of hours social work services. Clearly this model will need to address the varying demographic demands in both rural and urban settings as highlighted by the pilot projects.
