BACKGROUND:Social workers have to ignore hundreds of potentially serious child protection concerns due to understaffing, writes CARL O'BRIEN, Chief Reporter
THE LIST of cases below shows some of the hundreds of reports of suspected abuse or neglect referred to child protection services in recent weeks which remain unscreened and unassessed by social workers.
Most of these cases are regarded as “priority one” or “priority two” cases, which should receive an immediate response from social services.
Instead, frontline social workers say the vast majority of these cases will be added to waiting lists and will only receive a response if they develop into a crisis situation.
“The situation is unmanageable, chaotic and escalating,” said one social worker, familiar with the cases involved. “It’s a fire brigade response – we can only respond to the most urgent cases and just leave the others.”
In theory, social work services should be able to assess and manage all referrals to them from gardaí, schools or other health professionals. This involves the painstaking job of working with families to assess the needs of children or parents, directing them to support or – in more extreme cases – deciding whether to admit a child into the care system.
In reality, say social care professionals, they are forced to ignore hundreds of potentially serious child protection concerns due to heavy workloads and understaffing. This means they are missing out on opportunities to intervene in the lives of vulnerable young people and prevent their problems from becoming more acute.
“This is a real ethical dilemma,” said one social worker.
“We’re being forced to screen out potentially very serious cases. In the case of domestic violence, if the child hasn’t been directly affected then we don’t follow it up.”
Child protection is an unenviable task at the best of times, walking the tightrope between trying to support families in their homes and taking the drastic step of taking children into care.
These days, many say that they also feel more isolated and vulnerable than ever before, and worry that they will be blamed for the wider failings of the child protection system.
“Many of us have continually voiced our concerns to management over gaps in services, but there hasn’t been any change on the ground. If anything, in this area, they are getting worse.” In a statement, a spokeswoman for the HSE said it was aware of the deficiencies in the system and that working to transform services will take “considerable time, effort, perseverance and collaboration”.
It states that in addition to recent recruitment, there is an increasing realisation that child protection is everybody’s responsibility and the HSE will provide support, training and expertise to this ongoing process of community-wide learning and development to put children first.
In addition, it says it is working to standardise how referrals are handled to help ensure greater uniformity in the way child protection referrals are dealt with.
All of these reforms, the HSE says, will feed into a three-year plan to deliver a “comprehensive range of high-quality services for children in care” and to promote more effective shared practice and community engagement.
CHILDREN AT RISK Cases not being followed up
Child/children's age:
12 years old
Concern: This child is out of control, physically abusive towards his younger siblings and assaults other children. His mother is not coping. Psychologists will not see him until his home situation is assessed by child protection services. He has been known to social services for the past five years.
15 years old
Concern: This teenager tried to take his own life. His friend died by suicide recently and other friends have tried to kill themselves.
14 years old
Concern: This teenager's mother has mental health problems. Her family doctor is concerned about her ability to care for her daughter. She hasn't let the child attend school for the past two years.
Two years old
Concern: Neglect, mother abandoning child, mother allegedly verbally abusive to child. Last year she came to attention because of neglect concerns. This case was closed.
13 years old
Concern: Health professionals are concerned that this child has been admitted to hospital twice for head injuries this year. Her mother was seen recently drunk and pushing her child on the road.
16 years old
Concern: There are allegations that this teenager was sexually assaulted by her mother's partner.
Seven months old
Concern: This child is living in an environment where there is domestic violence in family home between the mother, uncle and grandfather.
16 and 14 years old
Concern: The house these teenagers are living in is in an awful condition with a sickening smell. One of the teens is self-harming. There are doubts about the mother's ability to cope.
14 years old
Concern: The school is very concerned about this child who is withdrawn and unhappy. Following a psychological assessment, an urgent referral was made to the child and adolescent mental health services. The mother did not bring her child to the appointment and is not responding to the school's request to meet.
Six years old
Concern:There are allegations of inappropriate sexualised behaviour between this child and another child.
13 years old
Concern:This teenager is verbally and physically abusive to other children in the home. Her mother can't cope and the home is in crisis. The child wrecks the house and verbally insults strangers. The family doctor is concerned for the family's welfare and the situation is escalating.
10 months old
Concern: This child is alleged to be living in a house where a family member is violent.
16 years old
Concern: This teenager has mental health problems and is out of control. He is also aggressive and violent to family members.
Three years old
Concern: This child is alleged to be witnessing domestic violence regularly. His mother has difficulty coping and her ability to keep child safe is questionable.
15 years old
Concern: This child is out of control and has real difficulty dealing with authority. She is sexually active and a complaint of sexual assault against her was withdrawn. She is misusing drugs and alcohol.
Six years old
Concern: Social care staff say the mother is pregnant and misusing drugs. There are doubts over who is meeting the child's basic needs.
Four years old
Concern: This child's mother has mental health problems and has overdosed. It is alleged that a relation – who is caring for child – is physically abusive to the child. There is a history of domestic violence at the house.
13 years old
Concern: It is alleged this child is being neglected, has been drinking and found in company of older men. There has been a concern expressed over possible sexual abuse. The family is know to social work services.
14 years old
Concern: Worries have been expressed by gardaí that this teenager may be in a sexual relationship with an adult. The adult served time in prison for a serious offence and there are concerns over his violent and aggressive behaviour.
16, seven and four years old
Concern: The children's mother has mental health problems and her father has a barring order against her. There are allegations of domestic violence. Some of the children have special needs and medical needs.
17 years old
Concern: She is pregnant but there are doubts over her capacity to parent. She has very poor relationships with her family and is known to social services.
Eight and nine years old
Concern: These children live in an environment where it is alleged there is domestic violence and that the father is threatening, violent and misusing alcohol.
16 and 13 years old
Concern: The mother is alleged to be neglecting her child, not coping and self-harming.
11 and eight years old and newborn baby
Concern: These children are thought to be living with ongoing domestic violence. The mother has multiple injuries and some of the children are very aggressive. The children allegedly have been begging their father to stop hitting their mother.
Three years old
Concern: There are concerns about neglect of this child. The family is not responding to appointments with public health nurses or other services.
Seven years old
Concern: This child is alleged to be experiencing emotional abuse, witnessing domestic violence and suffering physical abuse from the father.
10 years old
Concern: Gardaí are worried that this child is very aggressive and abusive. She regularly assaults other children. Her mother is finding it hard to cope. The family is previously known to social services.
One year old
Concern: This child's mother was previously in the care system. She has mental health difficulties and is self-harming.
17 years old
There is an allegation that this teenager raped his younger cousin.
10 years old and four months old
Concern: These children are living in an environment where there are concerns about domestic violence and their father's drinking.
Three years old
Concern: This child has uncontrollable temper tantrums. He threatens himself and others with knives and his mother is finding it difficult to cope.
15 years old
Concern: This teenager lives with his grandmother as his mother is in the care of mental health services. He has been coming to the attention of gardaí and is verbally and physically abusive to his grandmother, who cannot cope.
11 years old
Concern: This child has been self- harming. His older sisters are known to social services and may be involved in prostitution and drug misuse.
Five years old
Concern: This child is allegedly terrified of her mother's partner who is violent and abusive.
10 years old
Concern: This child is self- harming and expressing suicidal thoughts. He has been referred to mental health services. The mother, a lone parent, is finding it hard to cope. The child is aggressive towards other children.
Source: HSE child protection services. The details of some of these cases have been changed to protect the identity of children and their families