Social worker access ‘should not need parental consent’

CHILDREN should be able to access a social worker without parental consent as part of a new 24-hour, out-of-hours service, the ISPCC said yesterday.

Speaking before the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, the ISPCC said different options that would allow for increased access to social workers around the country also needed to be explored.

Speaking on the back of its 24-Hour Child campaign, the ISPCC said that 78% of calls to its Childline Service were out-of-hours calls.