Some foster carers are not assessed, Hiqa report finds

Some foster carers in parts of the country with the busiest caseloads have still not been properly assessed and others have not been vetted for years, a report reveals.

The Health Quality Information Authority (Hiqa) raised its concerns following a five-day inspection last October and November into the foster care service in Dublin South West/Kildare-West Wicklow.

While stressing there were numerous instances of excellent practice, and that the foster care services exceeded the standard when it came to the education category, Hiqa also said that “reviews of foster carers did not occur routinely and An Garda Síochána vetting was not up to date”.