Latest: Foster care agency accepts findings of Hiqa inspection report
A private fostering service has said that it fully accepts the findings outlined in a new Hiqa monitoring inspection report.
Since the HIQA inspection, Care Visions says it has put in place an Action Plan to comprehensively address each of the requirements identified.
“Care Visions, as an established and trusted fostering service, recognises its responsibility to uphold child safeguarding practices to the highest standards possible and regrets that it did not fully adhere to the national standards in a number of categories,” said Cathy Jamieson, Managing Director at Care Visions Group.
“In response, Care Visions has taken immediate steps to enhance the resources of the organisation and follow through on each of requirements as highlighted by HIQA in its report,” Ms Jamieson added.
“Care Visions is confident that the Action Plan is in line with national standards and would welcome a re-inspection by HIQA at that stage,” Ms Jamieson concluded.
As HIQA noted in its report that children are cared for in safe and appropriate homes by Care Visions foster carers and they have their physical and emotional needs met.
HIQA also noted that Care Visions staff “were dedicated and committed to the service and demonstrated a good knowledge of children’s needs.”
However, inspectors also found that six separate child protection concerns related to allegations, for example, against foster carers, children in foster care and other adults and none of them were recorded in the child protection log.
Other records showed children had gone missing on five occasions in the 12 months prior to last November's inspection.
"The monitoring and oversight of child protection and welfare concerns and allegations was not sufficient and there were significant gaps in the management and recording of child protection concerns," the report said.
The ISPCC has expressed concern after two HIQA inspections into foster care services were released today.
In the inspection reports, the first into a Tusla-provided service, only one standard was met, 20 needed improvement and there were significant risks identified in five areas.
In another inspection report into a “for profit” foster care service, just three standards were met, 16 required improvement and one was identified as significant risk.
The IPSCC welcomed the aspects of the reports which noted that a number of elements of these services were delivered in an effective manner – and in particular the report noted that all children had been allocated a social work.
The ‘for profit’ organisation “committed to providing and delivering a high quality, safe service” while in relation to the Tusla-provided service it was highlighted that “social workers promoted and respected children’s rights.”
ISPCC chief executive Grainia Long stated: “The HIQA report states that the Tusla service in particular was 'crisis led rather than delivered in a planned manner'.
“The fact that just one of our national standards has been met is extremely disappointing.
“These HIQA inspections took place in November and December 2016 and follow a pattern of similar inspections held in 2016. Minimum required standards are not being met in a way that children accessing these services have a right to expect.
“In particular, the issue of vetting staff, assessing foster carers and safeguarding children is consistently referred to in the Tusla-provided service report.
“It is the right of every child in the care of the state to be protected and as the report demonstrates, improvements are required in Garda vetting and adherence to Children First.”
“All children require robust systems for their protection – systems that are resourced, and that are followed. Foster care is now the responsibility of Tusla, the child and family agency. There is a need for a significant focus in this area, as a matter of urgency. There must be comprehensive assessments and ongoing monitoring of foster placements.”
Two new HIQA reports have raised concerns about the quality of foster care in Ireland.
Tusla’s Dublin South Central foster care service met only one of 26 standards assessed by the health watchdog.
The announced inspection also outlined five significant risks.
They include safeguarding and child protection, assessment and reviews of foster carers and making sure they are trained properly.
It also judged that management was crisis-led rather than well-planned.
It found there was no system in place to ensure all staff were vetted along with Tusla's own recruitment policy.
The report shows that while all children had a social worker, a number had been through several changes of social worker in a short time which affected their relationships with them.
Assessments of foster parents were done to a high standard, but were taking too long to complete.
A separate assessment of the Care Visions fostering service found that management and monitoring services need to improve to ensure the safety of children.
It added that though the service told HIQA there were no child protection issues in the past two years, four were found after reviewing files.
None of these incidents had been referred to the relevant social worker departments.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Jim Gibson, Chief Operations Officer, Tusla, said: "HIQA inspection reports are an important measurement tool and allow us to ensure that Tusla services operate at the highest possible standard.
"The report published today demonstrates evidence of good, child-centred practice and care in Dublin South Central, however, we acknowledge that there are areas which require improvement within the area’s fostering services.
"Every child in foster care in Dublin South Central has an allocated social worker to ensure they are safe and well cared for in their placement.
"However, Tusla remains committed to improving the care and safeguarding of children in foster care in Dublin South Central and all children in our care.
"In conjunction with HIQA, we have created and begun to implement an action plan in Dublin South Central to address those areas identified as requiring improvement and have put in place a governance and oversight group to track progress on the action plan."
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