Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Written Answers. - Social Services Inspectorate.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

933 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a comprehensive review of the success of the independent Social Services Inspectorate's work; his views on the lessons which have been learned; his plans to extend its work to all childrens' services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15514/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The Social Services Inspectorate was established in April 1999, initially on an administrative basis but it is proposed to establish it on a statutory basis. The main function of the inspectorate is to support the child care services by promoting and ensuring the development of quality standards. The SSI will monitor all personal social services operated by the health boards, in the longer term, but initially it is concentrating on the child care area and in particular on the inspection of health board operated residential child care facilities. The inspection process is intended to act as a catalyst for improvement and inspections play an essential safeguarding role and are just one part of ensuring quality services for vulnerable children.

A steering group chaired by the Department of Health and Children and comprising representatives of the Department, the chief executive officers of the health boards, the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the chief inspector of the SSI oversees the operation of the SSI. The process of inspection has been agreed. A national set of standards against which all children's residential homes both statutory and non-statutory, are being inspected was published in September 2001. A set of standards for the special care units has also issued.

An inspection of a special care unit highlighted the area of single separation as one where there is a need for guidelines. As a result my Department has established a working group to develop guidelines on the use of single separation. These guidelines will be finalised shortly.

Following the publication of the report of the working group on foster care in 2001, a working group was established to develop national standards on practices and procedures on foster care. The group established under the auspices of the Social Services Inspectorate has drawn up draft standards which I envisage will be finalised over the next few months.

The inspectorate has carried out three unannounced inspections and centres where children are detained are inspected annually. To date, 54 formal inspections have been held. As there are 100 health board run residential homes, the full programme of inspection will take over four years.

All inspection reports once finalised are placed on the SSI web-site. Published inspection reports highlight good practice as well as deficiencies in services and this serves to inform other services and professionals of appropriate standards and practice. This open publication of reports provides for general learning among child care staff.

All issues raised in the reports are followed up on by my Department in co-operation with the SSI. The inspection process has developed to allow for a follow-up meeting with the health boards to discuss the implementation of the recommendations where necessary.

The SSI publishes an annual report, which summarises their activities and main findings and indicates areas that need attention in the coming year. The inspection reports have highlighted many areas where the boards are providing good services including a good record of children attending schools; improvements in children's rights and improved consultation; more detailed care programmes, with more attention being paid to supporting individualised care plans and better practices within group living. The reports have also highlighted areas that are in need of further development including such as the need for health boards to monitor their own services and provide clear guidance to staff on the purpose and function of the service. The reports have emphasised the importance of qualified and competent staff.

The SSI has begun to receive the health board inspection reports of the voluntary residential children's centres. Regular meetings take place between the SSI inspectors and the health board Inspectors in order to work towards equity in the inspectorial process.

The health strategy "Quality and Fairness" has set 2003 as the target date for the establishment of the SSI on a statutory basis. It also states that the remit of the SSI will be extended to cover residential care for older people and people with disabilities. Establishing the SSI on a statutory basis will strengthen its role and will provide it with the necessary underpinning of independence in the performance of its functions. It will also serve to increase public confidence in state and voluntary social services. Work on the drafting of a statutory instrument to enable the SSI to be established on a statutory footing has commenced.