A child in state care is injured each day

A child in residential care is injured every day, according to data which also indicates many of the injuries result in hospital treatment.

Figures released to the Irish Examiner by the HSE show that, in the 18 months to the end of 2012, there were 562 injuries sustained by children in residential care. Of these, 308, or 54%, needed hospital or GP care.

Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay said the figures were “very concerning” and queried whether the new Child and Family Agency would receive a “hospital pass” when it assumes control of the care system in future.

The figures come just days after the HSE announced it would be closing a residential facility, the Ráth na nÓg high-support unit in Co Monaghan, after a critical inspection report.

The figures show the area with the highest number of injuries to young people in care in the 18 months to the end of 2012 was Dublin Mid-Leinster, with 268. The HSE said that area has a lower threshold for reporting of incidents in comparison to other areas.

Dublin Mid-Leinster had 89 cases where injuries required GP or hospital care, second to Dublin North- East, which had 126 injuries to children in care overall, 96 of which required hospital or GP care.

In HSE South, there were 101 injuries, 88 of which needed hospital or GP treatment. In HSE West, where there are just eight centres, children received injuries in 67 cases, with 35 leading to GP care or hospitalisation.

Nationally there are 136 centres, mostly split between Dublin Mid-Leinster, Dublin North-East, and HSE South.

The most recent figures from the HSE show that, in July, when there were 374 children in residential care settings in the country, the majority were in general residential care. Just 22 were in high-support placements and 25 were in special care.

By contrast, more than 4,000 children and young people are in foster care, with more than 1,800 in the care of relatives, although the HSE said approximately 800 children a year use residential services.

The HSE said it was unable to provide information regarding injuries to children in foster care due to the large number of case files, and also highlighted problems regarding files for residential care cases up to 2011.

“There were no consistent significant event logs kept across the system pre-2011, those that are in existence are not standardised or do not collect injuries concerning the relevant subject matter,” the HSE said, adding that data in regard to injuries to children in care is not collected within the HSE national dataset.