TWO REPORTS, in as many days last week, make for depressing reading concerning the standards of childcare provided on behalf of Government. Last summer, the Ryan report into the abuse of children placed in the care of religious orders was to have marked a new beginning. But it seems little has changed. Rules and regulations are being ignored within the Health Service Executive (HSE) where the vetting of employees and foster care relatives are concerned; complacency is endemic and accountability unknown.
This is not just about money. To be sure, more social workers are needed and resources should be allocated more effectively. But when rules designed to protect vulnerable children are ignored at all levels, the question of sackings has to arise. Appointing a new layer of bureaucracy to oversee a dysfunctional system will amount to window dressing unless that nettle is grasped. Within the HSE, reporting breaches of safety regulations to senior managers was found to have “no impact”. What does that say of the prevailing culture?
Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs Barry Andrews noted that such reports constantly challenge policy makers and service providers. He got that right. These reports amount to an indictment of both groups, going back for at least a decade. But the challenges have not been met. Children are still neglected while in the care of the State. At least 21 have died during a seven-year period. And we simply don’t know about ongoing levels of physical and sexual abuse.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found that staff at one-third of the State’s residential centres had not been properly vetted and that children were placed at unnecessary risk. The situation was far more serious where fostering arrangements were concerned, because this system involves the great majority of children at risk. In the single region examined, Hiqa found most of the relatives involved in fostering children had not been assessed for suitability. They were also less likely to be allocated a social worker.
These reports contain a litany of unacceptable administrative practices and penny-pinching attitudes that place vulnerable children at risk. We need a radically reformed protection service. Shielding young people from predatory adults is vital. But prevention should become the priority. Early intervention for distressed families through the provision of a range of social and educational supports is required. That way, many children may not require State residential care or fostering.