Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
1. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to address continuing child protection and welfare concerns in respect of children at risk who are waiting to be allocated a social worker. [14644/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraRecently we have received further reports which provide evidence that children proved to be at severe risk are left to wait for protracted periods without a necessary social worker. Will the Minister confirm to the House how he and his Department plan to deal with the deficiencies and the reduction in number of social workers to ensure every child identified as being in need of a social worker or at high risk of harm will, at the very minimum, be guaranteed a social worker to deal with him or her and his or her family?
I would like to correct the record of the House and the Deputy's point of view. There has been no reduction in the number of social workers.
As of January 2015, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has advised that a total of 19,926 children were in receipt of a dedicated social work service. A further 7,787 children who would benefit from an allocated social worker were awaiting the service. Of the 7,787 cases awaiting allocation, 2,235 were identified as being in the high priority category. These cases represent a mix of new referrals who need further assessment, as well as children known to Tusla or in care who need a continuing social work service. It is important to note that "high priority" should not simply be equated with risk. For example, children in care for less than six months are in stable placements and included in this category. Tusla deals immediately with emergency cases, including, for instance, a child who has been abandoned or is in immediate physical danger or at immediate risk of sexual abuse. Social work duty teams keep high priority cases under review by regular checking to ascertain risk to the child and, where necessary, will re-prioritise the case.
There were 1,397 whole-time equivalent social workers employed by Tusla at the end of February and it is recruiting an additional 218.
Tusla risk-assesses the impact of vacancies on service provision on an ongoing basis so that social work team numbers do not fall below what is considered necessary to provide a safe service. These risk assessments take account of case loads and referral numbers. Where necessary, temporary staff are brought in immediately to cover vacancies.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
As part of Tusla's business planning process for 2015, I requested that an action plan be developed setting out the proposed measures to tackle the issue of unallocated cases. Tusla has commenced a national review of cases awaiting allocation this month to determine if additional social work posts may be required to meet existing demand. I look forward to the outcome of this review.
There has been a welcome downward trend in the number waiting to be allocated a social worker, including an almost 50% reduction of high priority cases awaiting allocation for less than three months in 2014. Tusla is also committed to producing a workforce development strategy by the end of quarter 2 this year. This development presents Tusla with a significant opportunity to continue to improve its service to vulnerable children and families. The plan will consider issues relating to recruitment, retention, skill mix and turnover. I look forward to receiving the action plan and strategy and I will support Tusla in their ongoing work to deliver a safe and quality service.
The Minister said there was no reduction in social workers. While that may be true, many fewer children were referred or known to the care system five years ago than today. That is because there is now a greater emphasis and sense of priority in terms of ensuring that people at risk are referred to the care system.
What research and analysis has been carried out to ensure that we have a sufficient number of social workers working in the care system? The latest figures show that more than 8,000 cases of abuse, neglect and welfare concerns in respect of children at risk are waiting to be allocated a social worker. The most recently published HIQA report on social services in Cork set out that more than 230 children assessed as being at high risk of harm did not have an allocated social worker. HIQA also found that 1,167 of 4,926 children had no allocated social worker. We have a problem with the number of social workers working in our service.
I am glad the Deputy accepts there is no reduction in social workers. By way of further answer to his question I note that as part of Tusla's business planning process for 2015, I requested that an action plan be developed setting out the proposed measures to tackle the issue of unallocated cases. Tusla has commenced a national review of cases awaiting allocation this month to determine if additional social work posts may be required to meet existing demand. I look forward to the outcome of this review. As I have said, a further 218 social workers are being recruited.
I am pleased to inform the House that there has been a welcome downward trend in the number of cases waiting to be allocated a social worker, including an almost 50% reduction of high priority cases awaiting allocation for less than three months during 2014. Tusla is also committed to producing a workforce development strategy by the end of quarter 2 this year. This development presents Tusla with a significant opportunity to continue to improve its service to vulnerable children and families.
My question is whether, in light of the huge increase in the number of children referred to social work services, the Minister is confident that we have a sufficient number of social workers. The level of social workers to which the Minister and Department continually refer when talking about meeting capacity is based on figures from five years ago. In light of the additional children being referred to the service, is the Minister confident? Certainly, I am not. The research and evidence shows that thousands of children have not been allocated social workers.
The Minister has identified an action plan. Can he confirm today the number of children nationally who have been deemed to require a social worker but remain without one? Can he identify the number and confirm to the House when the children who have been identified as in need of a social worker will have a dedicated social worker and social plan going forward? Only when each child who has been identified as in need of a social worker gets one can the Minister come to the House and confirm that we have a sufficient number of social workers working in our service.
In the opening lines of my reply to the question, I confirmed the numbers for the Deputy. Measuring the pressure, which is done quarterly, there is a 48.6% drop in the number of children in the high priority category who are awaiting allocation to a social worker for less than three months from 2,046 in quarter 4, 2013, to 1,051 in quarter 4, 2014. We are making progress but we must make more. We are endeavouring to ensure that all children receive an appropriate service. Referrals have reduced as a consequence of better, more coherent co-operation between various people in the team who talk to each other.
The easiest way to describe it would be to put it in medical language. A GP who might want to refer a patient because he is unsure of a problem discusses that problem on the telephone with a consultant and realises he can deal with it himself. A similar type of approach has been adopted here. This has reduced anxiety for families and the necessity for social workers to become involved where it is not appropriate. There are still too many children awaiting a social worker. We are working and endeavouring to make sure that this is addressed through a whole range of initiatives which we have taken.
When will it be addressed?
