Public bodies repeatedly failing young people

The HSE took 10 months to repair a boy’s walking frame while some children in care could not be reunited with their families because local authorities failed to provide suitable housing.

The findings are included in the latest annual report from the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman (OCO), which claimed that public bodies are repeatedly failing young people, particularly those living in vulnerable circumstances.

Other examples inc-luded children in care not being provided with mental health services because local offices could not agree which area was responsible, while other children had to stay in hospital when they could have gone home because the HSE failed to provide adequate home care supports.