The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published an inspection report on the Child and Family Agency’s (Tusla’s) foster care services in the Kerry service area.

HIQA is authorised by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth under Section 69 of the Child Care Act 1991, as amended by Section 26 of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011, to inspect foster care services provided by Tusla and to report on its findings to the Minister, and to inspect services taking care of a child on behalf of Tusla, including non-statutory providers of foster care. HIQA monitors foster care services against the 2003 National Standards for Foster Care.

HIQA conducted an inspection of foster care services in the Kerry service area between 8 and 10 May 2023. The inspection looked at the promotion of children’s rights and identity, their diverse backgrounds and the support provided to help them maintain relationships with their family and friends. The inspection also considered the quality of their individual assessments of need, including any specialist support they required. It assessed how well children were matched to their foster carers, and the availability of a suitable range of local foster carers to provide good child-centred care.

  

Of the seven standards assessed, one was compliant and six were substantially compliant. Overall, HIQA found service managers had a good understanding of the area’s changing children-in-care population and of the improvements that were needed to fully embed a child-centred, rights-based approach to social work practice. Not all children had an allocated social worker, and the area was working to strengthen its recruitment and retention of foster carers. Managers closely monitored shortfalls in capacity.

Children spoke highly of their foster carers and of the opportunities they had to lead full lives, having fun, excelling in sports, learning new skills and helping out in the home. They were supported to attend faith-based events in line with their family upbringing and personal wishes. Children and foster carers spoke positively about their relationships with each other. They said that social workers and their foster carers helped them to keep in touch with their parents, brothers and sisters.

This inspection report can be found on the link below.