A shortage of qualified social workers is undermining health board residential childcare services, according to a report published yesterday.
The Department of Health's Social Services Inspectorate, in its "Report of Findings Relating to Inspection of Children's Residential Centres", identified a shortage of trained child carers at a number of health board units. The SSI said that high rates of staff turnover deprived children of essential continuity of care.
The SSI, established last year by the Minister of State for Children, Ms Mary Hanafin, based its findings on 12 inspections in 10 health board areas.
The SSI said that too many care centre workers were employed on temporary contracts. Support services for staff working in high-pressure childcare environments were often insufficient and there should be more in-service training.
Many children remained in residential units longer than necessary when social workers failed to draw up adequate medium-term care plans, the SSI found.
Ms Hanafin said: "The main aims of residential care should be to protect children and to help them reintegrate back into their families, where possible, and into the community."
The SSI does not inspect privately-run residential facilities. These are overseen by the health boards.