Report: Serious deficiencies in child services

THREE recent reports have identified serious deficiencies in child protection services provided by the state.

The reports, launched by Children’s Minister Barry Andrews, identified failings by the state’s health and social services, the gardaí and other non-government children’s services.

He said the guidelines were robust but their consistent implementation was the challenge.

The national review of compliance with the Children First guidelines found regional disparities across the country.

Another problem was the lack of support services, particularly an out-of-hours service and early therapeutic intervention.

The review of the guidelines was in response to the 2005 publication of the Ferns Report that documented the sexual abuse and rape of children by priests in the diocese of Ferns in Co Wexford over a period of 40 years.

At the time, the then Minister for Children, Brian Lenihan said a national review of compliance with the Children First guidelines by state bodies and non-government organisations, would he carried out.

Mr Andrews said there were excellent guidelines in place; they were robust and had stood the test of time. “The guidelines have been in place for 10 years and if properly implemented would ensure better outcomes for children,” he said. “They [the guidelines] are not being uniformly implemented and there are sometimes gaps in the services. We have to accept that and act on it.”

Mr Andrews said he would be working with the Health Service Executive to find out where the gaps were and where social workers were under pressure.

He said a lack of resources was not always to blame. “Serious changes can be made without the application of extra resources.”

Mr Andrews said the huge interest shown when the guidelines were first published in 1999 appeared to have fizzled out.

Awareness of the guidelines had to be “reinvigorated”, so that anyone who came into contact with children was aware of them.

Mr Andrews said the guidelines would be updated in the autumn to take account of some of the problems identified in the area of child protection but emphasised the substance and principles would remain unchanged.