Statutory responsibility for the promotion of child welfare and protection rests with the Child and Family Agency, which is the appropriate body to receive reports of concerns relating to all forms of child abuse.
In accordance with Children First National Guidance and the Agency's standard business processes and policies and procedures for carrying out initial assessments of child abuse and neglect, a child's name is placed on the Child Protection Notification System in the following circumstances:
- Where the outcome of an initial assessment is that a child is at risk of significant harm, requiring a child protection conference to be convened;
- Where the decision of the child protection conference is that a child protection plan is required to ensure that the necessary safeguards are in place;
- Where a review child protection conference - held at a minimum of 6 monthly intervals, confirms that the child remains at ongoing risk of significant harm necessitating a child protection plan.
Each referral received by the Agency is assessed and dealt with on an individual basis by the relevant social work team. Preliminary screening is aimed at establishing the appropriateness of the referral to the Child and Family Agency services and if necessary is followed by an initial assessment of the nature and degree of any harm, and an assessment of the child's needs.
The most recent set of validated data from Tulsa indicates that at the end of September, 2014 there were 1,393 children listed as "active" on the Child Protection Notification System. Of these, 1,358 had an allocated social worker and 35 had not been allocated a social worker. With regard to Donegal, a total of 80 children were listed as active on the system, 17 of whom did not have an allocated social worker. This is an issue of concern and I have asked Tusla for further information in relation to this matter.
Tusla has assured me that emergency cases are dealt with immediately. Where a child on the Child Protection Notification System has not yet been allocated a social worker, a risk management and assurance plan is required to ensure that known risks are adequately managed.
