CONTINUING DEFICIENCIES in the foster care system are compromising the safety of children in care, the State-appointed health watchdog has warned.
The Health Information and Quality Authority said yesterday foster parents are still not being adequately assessed, vetted and approved by the Health Service Executive. It also expressed serious concern about the “significant failure” of the executive to provide evidence it is properly monitoring foster care placements and collecting basic data.
The findings are based on a follow-up inspection by the authority in February 2011. This inspection was undertaken to assess how the HSE had responded to a damning report issued by the authority on its foster care system in July 2010.
In a report published yesterday, the authority said the HSE has implemented in full only one of 12 core recommendations it made in last year’s report. Two of the authority’s recommendations have still not been implemented and nine of its recommendations have been partly met, according to the report.
“The inspection process highlighted continuing deficiencies in the HSE foster care service that may compromise the safety of some children and effectiveness of service delivery,” concluded the report.
The authority said “considerable improvement” was required in the implementation of many of the recommendations.
These include:
Implementing Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children;
Developing national registers of children in foster care and their foster carers;
Assigning every child and foster carer a social worker;
Assessing and vetting of all foster carers;
Assessing the needs of children with disabilities in foster care; and
Developing a care plan for all children in foster care.
HSE figures published in the report, which the authority criticises as unvalidated, show 366 children living with foster parents did not have an assigned social worker in December 2010 and 551 children in foster homes did not have a written statutory care plan.
The authority said the HSE had made some progress in reviewing and amending the management and governance of the service. It praised the appointment of a national director of children and family services.
The HSE said it acknowledged progress in improving the quality of services for children in foster care placements and the support for the foster carers had not taken place as quickly as desired.
“The recruitment of the additional 200 social workers in 2010 has made a considerable impact on the composition of the workforce. The quality of staff and their commitment provides reassurance that the initial partial implementation of the authority’s recommendations can now be taken forward systematically and rigorously,” it said.
The Irish Association of Children in Care said it was a matter of serious concern so many foster carers have been caring for children without proper vetting, assessment, support or supervision. “We know that many children in foster care receive excellent care. However, it is shocking that children continue to be in placements with unapproved foster carers. The practice of placing children with any family, even with relatives, without undertaking thorough vetting and assessment is unsafe and does not meet the required standards,” said director Jennifer Gargan.
The Irish Foster Care Association said the failure of the HSE to implement the Children First guidelines across all regions was a cause of great concern.
HSE FOSTER CARE SERVICE HOW IT MUST IMPROVE:
The Health Information and Quality Authority conducted an inspection of HSE foster care services in February 2011. The aim was to assess its response to the recommendations of a damning report in July 2010
* Assign a social worker to every child in foster care. (Not met.)
* Ensure social workers visit and monitor all children. (Not met.)
* Ensure children over 16 have an aftercare plan. (Not met)
* Assess and manage the risk in the cases of children and families, including those awaiting a social work service. (Partly met.)
* Appoint a national director of children and family services. (Met.)
* Supervise social workers and social work practices to a satisfactory standard. (Partly met.)
* Ensure all significant events are notified to social workers promptly. (Not met)
* Monitor the current foster care system properly. (Partly met.)
* Ensure all foster carers have an assigned link social worker. (Not met.)
* Ensure link social workers carry out their duties in accordance with the regulations and are formally supervising foster carers. (Not met.)
* Agree on and provide core training to all foster carers. (Partly met.)
* Revise contracts with foster carers to ensure foster carers’ compliance with HSE policy generally, and attendance at core training in particular. (Partly met.)
The above recommendations are a selection of more than 50 sub recommendations published by the authority in July 2010.
There were 12 core recommendations.