Tusla – Child and Family Agency publishes Annual Report for 2016

- Number of referrals to child protection and welfare services increases by 9% -

Tusla – Child and Family Agency today publishes its Annual Report for 2016. The report outlines Tusla’s activities in its third year of operation during which the agency received 47,399 referrals to child protection and welfare services (an increase of 9%).

Speaking about the report, Brian Lee, Director of Quality Assurance, Tusla said: “ 2016 was the third year of operation for Tusla as the dedicated State Agency for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children. Significant progress was made in 2016 in key areas such as the establishment of Tusla’s transformation programme, significant reductions in unallocated cases, a focus on early intervention work across the country, and  inspections of early years services.”

He continued: “The establishment of Tusla’s transformation progarmme in 2016 was a significant step which will help to enhance key areas across the organisation including governance, HR systems, and organisational culture. At the heart of this is the new child protection and welfare strategy which will assist staff when engaging with children and families.”

Key achievements in 2016 include:

• 93% of children in care were in a foster placement;
• Staff around the country managed 47,399 referrals to child protection services;
• 2,008 inspections of early years services
• 38% reduction in unallocated cases;
• 77% reduction in high priority unallocated cases;
• Implementation of the Electronic Child Protection Notification System (CPNS);
• Roll out of early intervention initiatives including child and family support networks and 1,041 ‘Meitheal’ processes initiated;
• 99% of children in a general residential placement had an allocated social worker;
• 30,980 children and 23,465 families referred to family support services;
• Domestic, sexual and gender based violence services provided 155 units of accommodation (an increase of 6 units for 2015).

At the end of 2016 there were 6,258 children in care and 1,880 young people in receipt of aftercare services. Tusla staff across the country worked tirelessly in 2016 with children, families and communities to provide services that are appropriate, proportionate and timely. 

Tusla Annual Report 2016