Extracts from reports compiled by HSE childcare managers on the adequacy of child and family services.
ROSCOMMON:"As in previous years, all three social work offices were challenged to meet the referrals being made to their offices during the year. As a result, child protection cases were placed on waiting lists in all offices . . . Unfortunately some high-threshold cases had to be placed on waiting lists which did not happen previously. These lists are reviewed regularly. This is a serious situation and places children and the HSE in a vulnerable position."
SOUTH TIPPERARY:"As childcare manager I am convinced at this stage, having raised this issue on many occasions, the HSE is exposed to unacceptable risk, and in many ways has yet to proactively assist in resolving the resource deficits since 2005 in respect of actual posts required to fulfil the statutory duties and obligations in respect of child protection and welfare."
NORTH TIPPERARY: "Demand for clinical psychology services with 50 per cent less staff meant the service was constantly reacting to referred demands . . . This has meant an increase in waiting times for access to the service and for receipt of follow-up intervention. This is an untenable situation."
LIMERICK:"Waiting lists and unacceptable waiting time remain a perennial problem . . . [There is] evidence that referral rates to the psychology service are artificially low because of long waiting lists."
DONEGAL: "The short-term residential unit is located in Sligo, 70 miles away from Letterkenny . . . as a consequence it is common for children taken into care by gardaí to be placed overnight in Letterkenny General Hospital."
GALWAY: "The ratio of child protection staff to population is very low . . . This can result in a lack of service for low-threshold cases, cases awaiting allocation and cases being closed earlier than in the recent past."
LOUTH: "Additional resources are required to ensure that lower priority reports do not remain on the waiting list indefinitely . . . There are ongoing gaps in service provision for the monitoring and treatment of adolescent sex offenders."
LONGFORD/WESTMEATH: "Due to the lack of out-of-hours service for children where there are child protection concerns they are being placed inappropriately in hospitals due to no appropriate service being available."
LAOIS/OFFALY:"Our failure to comprehensively assess the needs of young persons coming into care (for whom we are legally obliged to act as parent) is a breach of the national standards . . . It is an indictment of our services which will only be addressed by greater commitment to inter-disciplinary and inter-departmental working.
MEATH:"A high number of child protection cases are on a waiting list. This waiting list represents a serious risk to the HSE and is reflected on the Meath Social Work Risk Register."
DUBLIN NORTH:"There is an over-reliance on the crisis intervention service . . . emergency accommodation [is] available only on a night-to-night . . . basis. This increased [the risk] of young people becoming involved in pressures inherent in city-centre life."
DUBLIN NORTH CENTRAL: "The emergency nature of child protection work was not conducive to making adequate comprehensive child care plans. This was . . . a factor in hampering provision of services to make long term secure plans in a timely fashion for children who must remain in care."
DUBLIN WEST: "There is a major problem in . . . providing suitable placements for children with particular and complex needs, ie addiction, sexually abusive behaviour, violence or mental illness.
Source: Review of adequacy of child and family service by HSE local health offices for 2006