Just six staff to inspect all foster services

THE independent watchdog tasked with inspecting services for more than 5,000 children in care has just half a dozen inspectors and no enforcement powers to prosecute those who breach the law.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has responsibility for inspecting 80 residential childcare centres, four detention schools and all foster care services – but it cannot apply any sanctions because this aspect of its work is not on a statutory footing.

Yesterday a spokesperson for HIQA said: “Our role is purely to report to the Minister (for Children). We have oversight of the Health Service Executive’s services for children in care, but no empowerment.”

Yesterday a Sunday newspaper reported that children in the south of the country had been routinely placed with foster families who had not been vetted, and that one child was placed with a foster carer who had a number of criminal convictions.

The report also said anaudit sample of foster carers found 37% were not registered with the Fostering Resource Unit (FRU) – the unit tasked with screening foster carers – and that relative foster carers were paid less than non-relatives.

However, a statement from the HSE said the use of unregistered carers was allowed under the 1991 Childcare Act and that it referred to families “who have been identified as a safe and appropriate care option with whom a child can be placed”. These families may not have sought to be foster carers but where a child cannot remain in their family home due for example to parental alcohol abuse or mental health issues, they had been identified as appropriate and willing carers.

This category of carer was subject to preliminary assessment and a Garda check and is distinct from the category of registered foster families who have “proactively expressed an interest” in providing care and who have undergone a “full and formal registration process”.

In relation to placing a child with a convicted criminal, the HSE said while a carer might have a conviction that prevents them from formally registering as a foster parent, the HSE may still decide, “having fully explored this with the gardaí and the family”, that he or she remains a suitable candidate to care for the child.

Con Lynch, principal social worker with the HSE South, said the “over-riding standard” was that the conviction would not have a bearing on the person’scapacity to care for the child and the offence would not have involved children. The HSE said all foster parents now receive a standard allowance.

It also said a national audit of all fostering services had taken place in the past year and HIQA was now inspecting foster services. However, since HIQA came into existence in 2007, it has published reports on just three foster care services, in Dublin South West, Meath and one private service.

It is currently reviewing foster services in Cork South Lee, North Lee, North Cork and West Cork and Dublin North, Dublin North Central and Dublin West “on foot of concerns brought to HIQA”.

Yesterday a spokesperson for Minister for Children Barry Andrews said the department was in negotiation with HIQA with a view to increasing staffing levels and work was also under way on regulations to give a legal basis to the work of HIQA.