38 young people in contact with social services died in 2011-12

A total of 38 children or young people who had been in contact with social services died between 2011 and 2012, new figures show.

New figures released by the Heath Service Executive today show most deaths were as a result of natural causes, followed by suicide, drug overdoses or accidents.

An independent review of the cases has raised serious concerns over the quality of services available to young people prior to their deaths.

Most of the young people were living with families known to child protection services.

A total of five young people were in the care of the State at the time of their deaths.

A national review panel for serious incidents and child deaths - established in 2010 following concern over the scale of deaths in the care system - today released detailed reviews of a number of individual cases.

The review panel’s function is to determine the quality of services available to individual children or young people prior to their deaths.

It found that in some cases the workload facing social work departments meant services were “significantly compromised”.

In four cases, for example, it found frontline intake services appeared to be “blocked”, while in another thee cases the management of waiting lists was “inconsistent”.

There was very mixed evidence of co-operation between agencies. In over half the cases, it found, inter-agency reviews would have assisted in the management of cases.

A small but significant number of reviews found that young people who died had been placed with relatives who had not been adequately supported to deal with challenging behaviour displayed by the children.