THE EXPERT panel tasked with investigating the deaths of children while in State care should complete reviews within four months and publish its reports within 30 days of completing them, a State-appointed health watchdog has recommended.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has also said all deaths of children in care or children known to the child-protection system should be reported to the agency within 48 hours.
Dr Marion Witton, chief inspector of social services at Hiqa, said yesterday recently reported tragedies illustrated the urgency in ensuring the guidance is implemented. She said delays in publishing reports and the lack of transparency concerning internal review reports had “shaken public confidence” in the review process.
Minister of State for Children Barry Andrews appointed a new independent group to review the deaths of children while in State care earlier this week. This followed publication of a report into the death of mother of two Tracey Fay (18).
The guidance issued by Hiqa is intended to create a national standard for the conduct of investigations to ensure lessons learned in cases can be implemented to create a “unified, independent and transparent system”.
Hiqa’s guidance says where learning is identified from cases, it should be acted on as quickly as possible without necessarily waiting for a review to be completed.
The guidelines, which are not legally binding unless new legislation is introduced, acknowledge delays may occur in the publication of reports into the death of children in care due to Garda investigations. However it says delays should not occur as a matter of course.