Children at risk over fall in social workers

Minor welfare concerns are building up to a risk of abuse in some childcare situations because of a shortage of social workers.

Health watchdog Hiqa said staff shortages are having an immediate effect on the ability of HSE child protection teams to handle waiting lists, while social workers said the safety of some children was being put at risk.

Speaking yesterday at a child protection conference in UCC, Vicky Blomfield of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) said staff shortages — with some areas working at 70% capacity — were having an “inevitable impact on what teams are able to deliver”. Twelve inspections of child protection teams have been carried out since Hiqa took responsibility for those inspections last year.