HSE response to the Hiqa National Children in Care Inspection report 2008
The HSE today welcomed Hiqa's Overview Report on 2008 Inspections and Findings for Children in Care Services report. The HSE was pleased to note that Hiqa referenced a number of positive developments based on 38 inspections of residential care and one foster care inspection. In particular, that children were positive about their experience in care, felt they had a good standard of care and were, in general, aware of their rights. The report also notes the reduction in numbers of children under 12 in residential care from 95 in 2006 to 67 in 2008 and we continue to strive to reduce this figure.
Hiqa advises that it found overall good practice with regard to children's rights; good standards were found in residential centres, that the standard of day to day care was particularly well met, that the
experience of day to day life as far as possible was similar to that of peers, and that children experienced a homely atmosphere and a family type experience in many centres.
The HSE noted Hiqa's findings in relation to gaps in some areas service provision. In responding to these, the gaps are addressed firstly by the individual service. Each of the inspection reports carried out by Hiqa is accompanied by an action plan which is sent to the relevant HSE local health manager. This plan gives details of action and timescales and names individuals responsible for meeting each recommendation. This plan is published on the Hiqa website alongside the Inspection Report and progress is assessed during a return visit usually within three months of the first inspection. In addition, recommendations with a national application are managed through the national Children and Families Steering group.
The HSE, in February 2009, in order to achieve consistent and standardised procedures and to fully and effectively implement the guidelines concerning child welfare and protection, established a task force, Children and Families Services. Its purpose was to assess the current child protection system and to accelerate the development of a national unified and standardised approach to the delivery of child protection services.
One of the major outputs of the work of the task force was the development of formal child protection protocols to ensure standardised and consistent practice within the HSE which is fully consistent with
Children First; the development of standardised business processes for Family Support Services, Family Welfare Conferences and Children in Care; clarification of governance arrangements in child protection, including the roles and responsibilities of staff, including supervision and developing a standardised approach to statutory care planning.
The HSE is currently enhancing the management and corporate structures in Children and Families Services, including the appointment of a full-time assistant national director for Children and Families Services.
As these changes occur, and as the outputs of the task force are implemented, it is the intention of the HSE that all services for children and families, including particularly, those in care, are strengthened in a consistent and equitable way.
The recent Ryan Report recommendations as well as those identified in this report will be addressed in a consistent, quality assured way to ensure the best outcomes for children in our care. All recommendations that are not resource dependent have been or are being actioned and those that require additional resources are being considered for inclusion in the 2010 Service Plan and subsequent plans.