Northern Health Minister notes 'failings' over fire deaths

THE NORTH'S Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has acknowledged that there were failings on the part of the health and social services agencies in relation to how they dealt with the McElhill family.

He pledged that the 63 recommendations made by the group reviewing how the McElhill tragedy was dealt with by the social services agencies would be fully implemented.

The recommendations include a stipulation that all cases where there are child protection concerns should be immediately addressed by the relevant agencies, and that there must be improvement in communication between these agencies, including the PSNI.

Following the exposure in the report of a failure in management and training of social workers, it is also proposed that social workers are properly trained and adequately resourced. "Out of hours" services must also be modernised and upgraded.

The report's authors also called on the PSNI to "ensure that their sex offenders database is routinely checked when their officers are called to family situations where there are child protection issues". There should also be greater liaison between GPs, social workers and health visitors.

Mr McGimpsey said that later this year the North's regulation and quality improvement authority would undertake an inspection of child protection services across Northern Ireland.

He said a major programme to reform frontline child protection services in Northern Ireland was under way, with £2 million (€2.5 million) invested in child protection services.

Over the next three years nearly £15 million will be invested in child protection and family support services, of which some £11 million represents investment in new services, he added.

"I intend to introduce a caseload management system over the next few months. This is to ensure that social workers are not having to cope with large workloads which put them under undue pressure and unable to meet the needs of children and families," said Mr McGimpsey.

"Protecting children and ensuring families in distress have every help and support is a key priority for me, and I will ensure that the recommendations in this review are implemented without delay," he added.

The Northern Ireland children's commissioner Patricia Lewsley described the findings of the report as horrifying. "Nothing was done for these children. The report casts a harsh light on how Caroline, Sean, Bellina, Clodagh and James were let down," she said.

"It is clear from this report that agencies were not talking to each other; individuals' concerns were not listened to," she added.