HIQA Publish Report into the Placement of Children aged 12 and under in Residential Care in Ireland
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) today published the report of the investigation of it’s Social Services Inspectorate into the placement of Children aged 12 and under in residential care in Ireland.
Launching the report the Minister for Children, Mr Brendan Smith T.D. said, “I welcome the report which will assist us by pointing out deficiencies in the current system, thus giving us the opportunity to rectify.” The Minister also outlined how his office (OMC) and the Health Service Executive were working together to develop a comprehensive childcare service that is planned, integrated, capable of anticipating emergencies, making purposeful placements and enhancing the lives of children.
Speaking at the launch, the Chief Executive of HIQA, Dr Tracey Cooper said, “The work undertaken by HIQA’s Social Services Inspectorate is a key component of the overall objectives of the Authority and this report illustrates the importance of having clearly defined national policies in place that provide guidance to those working in social care provision in Ireland. The safety and well-being of all children is our priority and following from this report, HIQA recommends to Government, as a priority, that a clearly stated national policy on the placement of children under 12 with families or foster care must be developed and implemented.
HIQA’s Chief Inspector of the Social Services Inspectorate, Dr Marion Witton said, “It is clear from the report’s findings that there should be effective systems in place to monitor and review the placement of children, in particular the placement of young children, to ensure the quality of a child-centred planning practice. Furthermore, it is imperative that the HSE provide appropriate placement arrangements for children. HIQA will be requesting a timeframe for the implementation of the report’s recommendations, and will monitor on an ongoing basis the effectiveness of their operation.”
Ends.
Further Information:
Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
01 6041785 / 086 2447623 mwhelan@hiqa.ie