Tusla apologises to mother and son for ‘clear errors’ in file

Tusla has apologised to a mother and her teenage son for “clear errors” in their file, including a claim the boy was visited by social workers at his care placement outside the jurisdiction, when he was not.

The boy, who has autism and was aged 15 at the time, was in a Tusla-organised placement with extended family in Northern Ireland from July 2018. Known as a "private family care arrangement", it was not court-ordered and the boy had no social worker or therapeutic supports.

He was visited once in Belfast by Tusla social workers, in August 2018.

Records released to the mother under Freedom of Information legislation, however, include an email from the Tusla area manager, to the agency's chief operations manager Jim Gibbons, dated October 31st, 2019.

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It says: “Case closed to social work in Jan 2019 but open to PPFS [prevention, partnership and family support]. PPFS subsequently visited [the boy] in Belfast who outlined his wish to remain.”

Tusla has since conceded, in an email to the mother dated November 2nd, 2021, that “no visit took place in Belfast by PPFS staff”.

The email to Mr Gibbons also says a “support referral made to Nth Irl social services”.

The man told The Irish Times he had no contact or support from Northern Irish social services. Now aged 19, he says he felt “dumped, unwanted and abandoned” for his 15 months there.

He had been taken to Belfast after an incident in the family home which resulted in him being removed by gardaí, held in a Garda station and placed in an emergency foster placement overnight.

He says he was told by Tusla his mother did not want him home. His mother told The Irish Times she was told he did not want to return to her.

Other errors in the files include a false assertion the mother had a problem with alcohol when she does not drink.

‘Legality’ of placement

She has “serious ongoing concerns” about the legality of her son’s placement in Belfast. Though there is no suggestion the host family did him any harm, they were not assessed for suitability. The mother was advised not to contact her son. Her letters to her him were opened and read by the host family on the instructions of Tusla, she says she was told.

Her son left Belfast of his own accord in mid-October 2019, returning by bus to his home town.

The family had been engaging with Tusla since 2016 after the boy was withdrawn from a private school that had accused him of sexual assault, but had failed to refer the allegation to Tusla. The boy denied the allegation and the mother complained to Tusla.

He was out of school for nine months as “no school wanted me”, he says.

“I felt alone, depressed, not knowing what to do with myself. I fell into addiction. Eventually then I went to [another school] but by the time I got there I had lost interest in everything, all my hobbies.”

He felt “judged, unwanted and alone”, he says.

The Belfast placement, he says, exacerbated his distress. “They put me in an environment where I was totally uncomfortable. They should have made sure it was a suitable environment. They turned me against my own mother. I was getting no counselling, no social worker. Nothing. Just dumped up there.

“Angry was the main feeling I had. I’m still angry. I’d say my mental health wasn’t good going into Belfast but Belfast made it 10 times worse. My head was all over the place.”

‘Bad memories’

Following his return from Belfast, he has engaged with Youthreach, completed his Junior Certificate and is now living in homeless accommodation in Dublin. He says he cannot live in his home town as there are "too many bad memories". His relationship with his mother is improving.

Aontú TD Peadar Tóibín, who has been advocating for the family, said the case was “very worrying”.

“This raises many questions about the accuracy of Tusla files.The matter warrants a full debate in the Dáil,” said Mr Tobin, who is not the family’s constituency TD.

In a statement, Tusla said it would “not be appropriate for Tusla to comment on individual aspects of this case in a public arena”.

“Tusla has acknowledged that there were deficits in aspects of the service provided, and clear errors in aspects of the records. A thorough review was conducted and Tusla’s chief executive and the regional service director engaged with the family who reported these concerns and have apologised for the errors and the upset caused as a result.

“A number of actions have since been taken to support the people impacted by these mistakes, and a number of actions have also been taken to safeguard as much as it is possible that such errors do not occur in the future.”