Child and family agency to audit thousands of services it funds

The child and family agency, Tusla, is completing a widescale audit of the tens of thousands of projects and services that it funds across the country.

The commissioning process is aimed at ensuring that resources are directed where “they can be the most effective and where they can meet the greatest need”, according to Tusla. The move is also aimed at ensuring “greater consistency in service provision throughout the country”.

It means that every project will outline “in a clearly defined manner” what services they are offering and how these are meeting Tusla objectives.

According to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the audit is aimed at “cost containment” about ensuring projects are “clearly focussed on specific and tangible outcomes for children and families that are demonstrably cost effective and efficient”.

Tusla was given an extra €38m in last year’s budget, bringing its funding to €675m per year but groups such as Barnardos have said that its budget is insufficient and this is putting children at risk as families are not a priority until they are at crisis point.

The DCYA gave Tusla funding to recruit another 174 social workers this year.

A Tusla spokeswoman said the audit is a key part of its plan to reform child and family services.

“Commissioning is an ongoing process. The priorities for 2016 are to engage with external providers in relation to commissioning and to enhance governance arrangements with externally funded organisations,” a spokeswoman said.

Tusla would not confirm whether the audit would lead to an increase in the number of services, projects or agencies losing funding or having their funding reduced.

“The commissioning strategy will provide incentives to service providers to adapt and change, based on evidence and information about what is needed in their community and what is most effective in improving the experience and outcomes for children and families,” said the spokeswoman.

Barnardos’ warning about the need for greater funding for Tusla came last month in the aftermath of the sentencing of a woman in Galway for a catalogue of abuse and neglect perpetrated against her children.

The 39-year-old was jailed for four years after six of her children gave evidence of a five-year period of abuse, including how one child was pushed down the stairs by his mother; how she drove a car at two of her children after they had spilled a milkshake; and how others were made to swallow washing-up liquid.