MANY CHILDREN are in foster care with relatives who have not been vetted and this is an “unsafe” situation, according to a new report from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).
In its first independent inspection of foster care services, the authority found that more than two-thirds of relative foster carers in one region had not undergone a comprehensive assessment to determine their suitability for the job, as required under regulations.
“This finding gives rise to concern, as placing children with carers who have not been subject to a comprehensive assessment and vetting, albeit with a relative, is unsafe. All foster carers must be assessed prior to providing care to children,” it said in a report published yesterday.
It also found that in the same area – Dublin South West – only 40 per cent of relative foster carers were allocated to social workers, which again was in breach of standards.
Some 85 per cent of non-relative foster carers had an allocated social worker.
Its report, National Children in Care Inspection Report 2008, says there are approximately 5,500 children in care in the State, with about 89 per cent of these in foster care provided by both relatives and non-relatives.
Foster carers receive an allowance from the HSE.
In Dublin South West there were 156 children placed with 123 foster carers. Of these carers 63 were relatives, 60 were not. While “the majority” of non-relative foster carers were assessed and vetted in accordance with national foster care standards, more than two-thirds of relative foster carers were not. It said this “may potentially obstruct the system of child protection”.
Some 12 per cent of children in foster care in the area did not have an allocated social worker.
Dr Marion Witton, chief inspector of social services with Hiqa, said there was no guarantee foster carers were suitable to look after children unless they were vetted by social workers.
Meanwhile, the report also found shortcomings in many of the 38 HSE-run children’s residential centres it inspected last year. About 7 per cent of children in care are in residential centres.
Almost one-third of children’s residential centres inspected had not vetted all their staff properly. Residential centres are required to obtain three references and Garda clearance for all staff prior to them commencing work.
Some 12 of the 38 centres did not have three references on file for all employees and three centres did not have Garda clearance for a number of employees before they started work.
“It is the responsibility of the HSE to vet staff prior to commencing employment in children’s residential centres . . . not adhering to this practice may cause children in care to be subject to unnecessary risk.”
While there was evidence of good practice in many centres, “there is also evidence of areas where services need to improve significantly”.
Issues needing to be addressed include ensuring children have care plans, plans for leaving care, proper handling of children who abscond and may be at risk and ensuring fire regulations are met.
The report also said inspectors noted with concern that even in cases where HSE monitoring officers who visited the centres had drawn the attention of senior HSE managers to breaches of regulations, it had no impact. “This lack of follow up must not be allowed to continue,” Hiqa said.
It has asked the HSE to nominate a national director to implement the 21 recommendations in its latest report.
Minister for Children Barry Andrews said it was “worrying” that only 40 per cent of relative foster carers studied had an allocated social worker.
“The commitment to fill 270 HSE social work posts, contained in the implementation will, I believe, enable all children in care and their foster carers to be provided with a designated social worker. This is a minimum, but an achievable, standard that we must deliver,” he said.
The HSE said all recommendations “that are not resource dependent have been or are being actioned” and those that require additional resources are being considered for inclusion in its 2010 service plan.
It is about to appoint an assistant national director with responsibility for children and family services.