Tracey Fay: Concerns ignored

Key risk indicators including evidence of serious physical abuse on a young girl, Tracey Fay (pictured above with her son Luke), were never followed up.

The report found Tracey, who died at the age of 18 from a drugs overdose in 2002, was failed by the care system from early in her life.

She first came to the attention of the State at the age of nine months, when concerns for her welfare were raised.

By the age of three, there had been five confirmed instances of child protection concerns recorded. However, the only interventions to result from such reports were a number of home visits.

The report criticised the fact that initial concerns regarding Tracey’s welfare were dealt with as single episodes rather than collectively.

The report found that child protection guidelines were not followed after Tracey’s mother admitted to seriously physically abusing her daughter when she was aged seven.

Tracey and her family subsequently move to Wiltshire where she was placed on the “at risk” register in Britain.

Just before her 15th birthday, and after she had returned to Ireland with her family, Tracey was placed in voluntary care.

Over the next three years and eight months while in the care of the HSE, Tracey was placed in at least 36 different locations including B&Bs, apartments, supported lodgings, and other placements.

“When she was eventually received into voluntary care at 15, she was utterly failed by unsuitable placements,” the report concludes. “She ended up spending large periods of time on the streets, where she was abused and learned not to trust the system to care for her.”

Records showed there did not appear to be a full assessment of the sexual abuse which she had suffered by older adults who had also introduced her to alcohol and substance abuse.

For most of her first year in care, she had no regular contact with a social worker.

A care plan for Tracey was only devised when she was aged almost 17, despite the fact she had been the subject of psychological and psychiatric assessments some time earlier after she became aggressive towards staff and other residents as a result of her drug abuse.

The report noted that Tracey had two children who had been placed in care. It noted she had regular access to them and never missed a visit.

Despite the fact that a guardian, social workers, and the Out of Hours Service had identified her need for dedicated specific accommodation, none was ever provided.

The review group said it was unknown if any of the 40 recommendations made on foot of a review carried out following Tracey’s death had been implemented. They claimed more suitable placements might have reduced the risk of her being exposed to abuse.