Children and Youth Affairs Committee to examine HIQA inspection reports on foster care services

The Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs will tomorrow meet with representatives from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to discuss the findings of their Statutory Foster Care Service inspection reports.

The meeting will commence at 9.00am in Committee Room 1 tomorrow, Wednesday, 17 May 2017.

Committee Chairman Jim Daly TD, said “The two most recent HIQA inspection reports on Tusla-led foster care services, gave cause for concern around how best practice was being implemented, owing to the identification of significant risks. These reports, on the Dublin South Central and Care Visions fostering services, identified issues such as delays in assessments and decisions, the reactive management style to a given crisis rather than a proactive management strategy and the incorrect vetting of staff and those with unsupervised access to those in care. Further concerns were also raised around regular service reviews not happening as a matter of course and leadership issues around how to handle welfare concerns and allegations.”

“Tomorrow, we will have the opportunity to discuss these reports further with HIQA officials and hear about what action plans have been put in place to ensure services are improved and that the risk to those in care is minimised.”

Committee proceedings can be viewed on Facebook Live and on our website here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.