The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published a report of an inspection to assess whether Child and Family Agency (Tusla) social workers in the Cork service area were fulfilling their statutory duties of monitoring placements for children in residential care. 

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 children’s residential centres provided by Tusla. HIQA monitors Tusla’s performance against the Child Care (Placement of Children in Residential Care) Regulations 1995 and reports on its findings to the Minister. 

This inspection assessed compliance with four regulations on care records, care plan, supervision and visiting of children, and review of cases. The service area was found to be compliant with one regulation and substantially compliant with three regulations.

The quality of care plans for children in residential care was of a high standard. They provided a comprehensive picture of children’s lives, their individual strengths and any risks to their safety and welfare. Social workers had a clear focus on helping children and their families participate in the development of their care plans. Partnership working with other agencies was strong and aimed to ensure children’s individual and specialist needs were being appropriately met.

Reviews of children in residential care were well managed, with effective checks made of the continued suitability of the care placement in meeting children’s needs.  However, there were a few occasions where the frequency of reviews had not been held within the time frames set out in regulations. In addition, arrangements for recording minutes of reviews were not in line with Tusla’s nationally approved processes. The reviews of children aged 12 years or younger were overseen by a consistent review chairperson which ensured good oversight of this age profile of children’s welfare and development. 

All children in residential care at the time of the inspection had an assigned social worker. They visited children and spoke to service providers to assess the progress being made in meeting children’s needs and the ongoing suitability of the placement. However, there were a few occasions where visits had not been timely or had not been recorded and uploaded to the child’s electronic case record, and this required further improvement.

Case records were child centred and included the voice of the child. All records contained essential personal and statutory documents. However, there were a few gaps in records in relation to visits to see a child, and in manager case notes to evidence discussions and agreed actions within supervision. 

The inspection report can be found at the link below.