Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 September 2012
2. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children who have sought aftercare on leaving the care system during each of the last seven years; the number of children who have received aftercare on leaving the care system during each of the last seven years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41028/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 places a statutory duty on the HSE to form a view on whether each person leaving care has a need for assistance. If it forms such a view, it is required to provide services in accordance with the legislation and subject to resources. Under the 1995 child care regulations , the HSE is required to consider a child's need for assistance, in accordance with the provisions of section 45, two years prior to the child leaving care. All young people who have had a care history with the HSE are entitled to an aftercare service based on their assessed needs.
The core eligible age range for aftercare is 18 to 21 years. The HSE policy allows for this to be extended up to the age of 23 years on the basis of a need for assistance.
As I have previously advised the Deputy, regular statistics for young adults in receipt of aftercare only commenced being compiled and published by the HSE after I took office in 2011. I am now receiving quarterly reports on the numbers leaving aftercare; therefore, we now have more up-to-date figures than were previously available. I believe I supplied the Deputy with figures for the years 2007 to 2010, inclusive. As of June 2012, the statistics indicate that 1,053 young adults were in receipt of an aftercare service. As I told the Deputy previously, the budgets for aftercare provision across the country have increased substantially. While regular figures were not available before 2011, we are aware that the number of children in aftercare has increased, for example, from 847 in 2009 to 1,053 in June 2012. I will be getting new figures at the end of September. I have asked the HSE if it can compile the precise information requested by the Deputy for the seven year period. Although I do not have that information available today, I will try to get it. We have given all the data we have available.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
The basis of an aftercare service is an individual needs assessment which identifies a young person’s need for accommodation, financial support, social network support and training and education. The level of support required will vary for each individual from advice to accommodation to further education, employment or training and social support. The most important requirements for young people leaving care are for secure, suitable accommodation, as well as further education, employment or training and social support. The most vulnerable group of young people leaving care are those who are not in education and training and those who have left residential care. Young people with mental health problems or a disability are also in need of particular support. Aftercare provision incorporates advice, guidance, networks and practical support. It is essential that all young people leaving care are provided with the type of transitional support that their individual situation requires. The provision of an appropriate aftercare service has been highlighted as a key element in achieving positive outcomes for young people leaving care.
Some 90% of children in care are in foster care, a large number of whom remain living with their foster families, supported financially by the HSE, on reaching 18 years of age. Many of these young people continue in education and training, as planned. This remains a key component of aftercare for young people when they leave care.
The HSE national aftercare service is underpinned by a national policy and procedures document which has been developed in co-operation with the key stakeholders, including the voluntary sector agencies representing children in care and those involved in aftercare provision and my Department. The policy which was finalised in April 2011 commits to promoting and achieving the best outcomes for young people leaving care and ensuring consistency of support for these young people. The HSE has established an intra-agency national aftercare implementation group to monitor progress in implementing the national policy. The work of this group is ongoing and I have asked Mr. Gordon Jeyes, national director for children and family services in the HSE, to prepare a report on aftercare. This report will include, inter alia, the key findings of the group, examples of best practice, assessment criteria and effective aftercare supports. The report will guide the development of policy to underpin the strengthening of legislation for services in this important area.
The Deputy will be aware that I am examining options, in association with the Attorney General, to strengthen legislation to make explicit the HSE's obligations in the provision of aftercare. The experience in implementing the national aftercare policies and procedures and the involvement of a range of important stakeholders in this process provide an opportunity to further improve policy and legislation in this area.
The Minister has responded to this question previously. I remain hugely concerned, which is why I continue to raise it with her. For her information, the last time she responded with figures up to the end of May 2012, the figure was 1,310. There needs to be a revisitation of the June figure as it could hardly have dropped so dramatically to 1,053. I am concerned about the process of establishing the figures.
Young adults 18 years and older need continuing support, particularly in these harsh economic times. As a parent of young adults, I am keenly aware of this, as many in this institution will affirm. As a substitute for birth parents, the State should treat those in our collective care no differently, which would be my certain wish. We must continue to protect vulnerable young people and our duty of care does not cease on their attaining their 18th birthday.
With all that has been exposed in recent reports, by which we are all deeply shocked, it is vital - I remake the case - to ensure a legal right to aftercare is included in the Statute Book to avoid future tragedies. The Child Care Act, as it stands, could be described as a hollow guarantee without including this legal right. There must be investment to ensure there will be sufficient resources in place to provide aftercare for all young people who require it.
I understand from previous responses that the Minister indicated ten additional dedicated aftercare workers would be recruited. Has she filled these additional posts yet? I understand there were already 45 dedicated aftercare workers in the HSE. Does the Minister accept the HSE's indication that aftercare must be provided according to needs and based on a needs assessment? Will she indicate how child or young adult friendly is this assessment? Are all young people being assessed post-care?
I appreciate the Deputy's interest in this issue and the reason for it. I share his view of the vulnerability of young people leaving care. We had the figure in 2010 of 2,000 young people leaving care. There is no question that there have been developments since, although I am not complacent about the matter. I will have to come back to the Deputy on the number of aftercare staff who have been recruited, but it is my understanding the recruitment did go ahead. I will confirm this for the Deputy.
There is now a national policy on aftercare, as the Deputy knows, and there has also been the very positive development of the establishment of the intra-agency national aftercare implementation group, of which EPIC, the group which works with young people to ensure their perspectives are taken into account, is part. The HSE has issued a directive that young people due to leave care be assessed.
I also said I would examine the legislation. When I bring forward the legislation to establish the new agency, I hope to bring forward within it a more explicit statement of the HSE's obligation in regard to aftercare. As the Deputy knows, my advice from the Attorney General, as well as my legal advice, has been that there is already a statutory obligation, but I will make it more explicit in view of the seriousness and importance of the issue. I expect to be able to include this in the legislation establishing the new agency in order that it will be very clear that it has the responsibility I will revert to the Deputy with the figures sought.
Will the Minister confirm that she is proposing a legal right to aftercare? To what extent is she prepared to move in terms of the new legislative provision? There are 100 young people leaving aftercare on an annual basis - perhaps the figure is even greater than this - and the number will continue to rise as more and more are catered for within the care system. Greater resources will be required into the future and it is essential we put them in place. Again, on the basis of the equality core value, those of us who are parents know that young adults continue to require our support. We should continue to treat children in our care no differently.
The Deputy will be interested to know that, for example, there are 614 young people between the ages of 18 and 21 years in receipt of aftercare and involved in education and training courses. There has clearly been a change in terms of the awareness of the needs of this group. Of course, it is important to point out that not every young person leaving care will be in need of aftercare. Some will obviously not want it or will just want to do their own thing and move on. There will also be quite a number of young people in the care system who will turn 18 and remain with foster families.
The Deputy's question points to the need for even more careful analysis of the figures. As I said - this is an issue I have had to confront across a number of areas - we need better quality information on precisely what is happening to young people who leave the care system. We are beginning to get this information. We are also beginning to see increased budgets and provision. Given the vulnerability of some young people in aftercare, as we saw in recent reports, we have to ensure we provide the very best quality service we can in order to help them make that transition from care.
