Huge increase in number of Traveller children fostered by people in Traveller community

In general, children had positive experiences of their time in foster care, as well as good relationships with their carers and social workers. Stock photo: Danny Lawson/PA

The number of Traveller children now being fostered by members of the Traveller community in the west has soared after a recruitment drive by Tusla.

A statutory foster care service inspection report for Galway Roscommon by Hiqa found that 61% of Traveller children in care were cared for by Traveller foster families last May, compared with just 3% in 2014.

According to Hiqa: "It also noted that the fostering department would continue with recruitment campaigns and proactively recruit, train and assess general foster carer from the Traveller community so that Traveller children coming into care could continue to live within their own culture even if they are separated from their families."

It was one example of good practice detected by Hiqa in the course of the inspection, with the area compliant in three of the six areas inspected and substantially compliant in the others.

At the time of the inspection there were 365 children in foster care in the area.

In general, children had positive experiences of their time in foster care, as well as good relationships with their carers and social workers.

Some shortcomings were detected, including in the preparatory work for children reaching 18 and entering aftercare.

The inspection found that 14 of the 27 (52%) children in care reviews sampled by inspectors were not fully completed in a timely manner as they were not signed by a team leader or reviewing officer for a number of months following the review. The delayed sign-off periods ranged from two months to 11 months.

There were 104 children in foster care under the voluntary consent provided by their parents and at the time of the inspection, 14 remaining voluntary care agreements required renewal. 

Inspectors reviewed seven voluntary consent forms that had been updated by  the area. Six of the seven voluntary consent forms were incomplete, despite having been audited by the area.

Data provided by the area during the inspection indicated that there had been 28 child protection concerns made against people other than the children’s foster carer in the 12 months prior to the inspection and a review of the files of four of these concerns showed they had been properly dealt with.

There were also 21 complaints made by foster carers, parents, or family members in the previous 12 months and seven complaints made by children in care. 

At the time of the inspection, two complaints were upheld, four were still in progress and 15 were closed having been resolved.

There had been two notifications of children missing from foster care in the 12 months prior to the inspection. 

Inspectors reviewed one child’s file who had been missing from care. Appropriate safeguarding measures and an active social work service was in place to protect and support the young person.

The report also said the area tried to ensure that children maintained their contacts with their local community when they were admitted to foster care. 

Of the 199 children who answered the question of whether or not they see enough of their family and friends, 155 (78%) said they did, 14 (7%) said they did not, 16 (13%) said ‘sometimes’ and four children said they did not know. 

Of 196 children who answered the question of whether or not they had to change school when they moved into their new foster home, 85 (43%) said that they had to change school while 107 (55%) said that they remained in their school placements.