Reports of possible abuse, neglect or mistreatment of children in Co Donegal faced delays being assessed by social workers because of “intractable” staffing problems and “burnout” in Tusla, the child and family agency, an internal review found.
While concerns reported to Tusla were screened within 24 hours, there were delays carrying out more thorough initial assessments of children, the review said. Staffing shortages meant a “significant waiting list” had built up in the area, which required an “immediate” response from management to address, it said.
Tusla’s service in Co Donegal was under pressure, with social workers telling reviewers the need to firefight “emergencies” often pulled staff away from routine work assessing lower-priority cases.
The review said cases had not been allocated to social workers due to “persistent staffing difficulties”. Three out of five senior social worker posts were vacant in one team, it said.
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Tusla staff in Co Donegal reported being burnt out and said they were “constantly worrying about which member of their team would leave next,” the review said.
Staff spoke about feeling overwhelmed with their workload, which some said made them feel “useless” and “incompetent”.
Social workers were “concerned for the wellbeing of their team members and the impact [of] the staff shortages on the services provided to children and families”, the review said.
Many said the “full extent” of the problems in the local service were masked because staff had been able to take on extra work.
The review said assessments of children referred to Tusla in Co Donegal were being delayed by “intractable staffing difficulties”. The reviewers were not assured that cases reported to Tusla had been seen “in a timely manner to protect the children” involved.
“The service had a significant waiting list that requires increased management and oversight to ensure that those most in need are prioritised,” it said.
The review was carried out by Tusla’s internal quality and assurance inspectors and completed in November 2023.
It found 79 cases had been passed between different parts of Tusla’s service, before ending up on a waiting list. There had been no planning to try to make the home environment of those children safer in the interim, the review said.
A further internal review highlighted one “high priority” case of alleged abuse of a child, which had been let “drift” for a 10-month period. The May 2024 review found “insufficient evidence” that the risks posed by the alleged abuser “had been assessed or managed in a timely manner” by Tusla.
“The retention and recruitment of staff was highlighted by the area as a key challenge,” the review of the Donegal service said. The internal reviews were released to The Irish Times following Freedom of Information Act requests.
