The latest reports into the deaths of children and young people in care once again illustrate the failings of State child protection services. Investigations carried out by an independent National Review Panel into some 13 deaths included cases of young people who took their own lives, those who died from natural causes and one individual who died following a drug overdose.
While the reports conclude that none of the deaths occurred because of inaction by the Child and Family Agency (CFA), they found a critical lack of co-operation between services, over-stretched and under-resourced social work departments and under-resourced child and mental health services. They also identified a lack of long-term planning and a lack of urgent intervention at critical points in some of the children's lives.
Established in 2014, the child and family agency Tusla was broadly welcomed as an important step in unifying hitherto fractured child protection services. However Dr Helen Buckley, chair of the independent review panel into the 13 deaths that occurred over the last two years pointed out that the CFA "cannot provide a comprehensive child protection and welfare service without the co-operation of other services and organisations, particularly those in the disability and mental health sectors."
There have been almost 30 inquiries into the State’s handling of child abuse cases over the past two decades. Most have identified the same issues: a pattern of lapses in communication between state agencies; the lack of a standardised approach to dealing with abuse concerns; and a lack of emphasis on preventive measures.
It is worrying that the promise of a more cohesive service backed by greater resources has yet to materialise. While Tusla has developed a national early intervention practice called Meitheal, a question remains about its authority to effect change among mental health and disability professionals.
If we are to reduce the numbers of young people dying in care, Minister for Children, Katherine Zappone must intervene with her Cabinet colleagues to rectify this crucial deficit.