Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2014
92. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views regarding the fact that the numbers of deaths of children in State care, after care or known to the Health Service Executive has not significantly declined since the publication of the child death review; and the action he will take regarding same. [27939/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Report of the Independent Review Group which was published in July 2010, arising from the work of an independent group established by the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to examine the deaths of children in care, aftercare or involved with child protection and welfare services from January 2000 to April 2010. The report indicated that 196 children had died during this period of over 10 years. This statistic was reported widely in the media and while the loss of any child is tragic it is important that further context is provided so that the number and causes of child deaths, particularly of children in care, is not exaggerated and that learning is taken and acted upon.
The Report differentiated between categories of children (children in care at the time of death, young people over 18 receiving an aftercare service and children who had been referred to child protection and welfare services because of concerns but who were living at home). It also differentiated between deaths from natural causes which were anticipated due to serious illness and disability and non-natural which included deaths related to substance abuse, suicide and accidents.
- 36 children were in care at the time of death (19 were deaths due to natural causes and 17 were non-natural)
- 32 young people were over the age of 18 and in receipt of aftercare services (5 deaths were due to natural causes and 27 were non-natural)
- 128 children were living at home but had been referred to child protection services due to concerns (60 deaths were due to natural causes and 68 were non-natural).
The Report made a number of recommendations for improvement including that any death of a child in care, aftercare or known to child protection services should be reviewed.
Later in 2010, a National Review Panel was established by the Health Service Executive (now the Child and Family Agency) based on guidance published by the Health Information and Quality Authority. The National Review Panel is independently chaired by Dr Helen Buckley, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College. It is mandated to review all deaths and serious incidents involving children in care, aftercare and known to child protection services. Its reports are published on the Child and Family Agency’s website and are available for the three year period between 2010 and 2012. The latest National Review Panel Annual Report 2012 indicates that at the end of 2012, the HSE had notified it of 60 deaths (22 in 2010; 15 in 2011 and 23 in 2012). Further breakdown of cases reviewed by the National Review Panel indicate the following:
- Seven children were in care at the time of death (2 in 2010; 2 in 2011 and 3 in 2012),
- Eight were receiving aftercare services (4 in 2010; 2 in 2011 and 2 in 2012),
- 45 were living with their family and known to child protection services (16 in 2010; 11 in 2011 and 18 in 2012).
It is important that a factual and contextual account is provided for deaths of children in care or known to Child Welfare and Protection Services. While it has been reported in the media recently that 23 children in care died in 2012, the facts are that:
- Three of the 23 children and young people were in the care of the HSE,
- Two of the 23 children and young people had been in receipt of after care services,
- Eighteen children and young adults (up to age 20) were living in their family homes with their parent/parents,
- 35% of children died of natural causes,
- 40% of the deaths reviewed were young people aged between 17 and 20 years and due to high risk behaviours,
- Younger children mainly died from natural causes and accidents.
As of December 2012, 24 National Review Panel reports have been published. While the National Review Panel reported on a number of management and practice weaknesses, there was no case where the review team concluded that action or inaction on the part of the HSE services was a direct contributory factor in the child or young person’s death. The Panel's 2012 Annual Report notes that it found examples of positive practice at all levels in the majority of cases that it reviewed. The report also notes that many of its recommendations in early reports are redundant in the context of the current reform of services including changes in management and governance and the establishment of the new Agency. My Department follows up recommendations made in the National Review Panel reports to ensure they are implemented. I am happy that the work of the National Review Panel is identifying areas where practice can be improved and the Agency's response. The Child and Family Agency Business Plan 2014 sets out the overall approach for the provision of services to children and families and reflects a wide range of policy priorities which my predecessor communicated to the Agency last December.
