Tusla Statement on Publication of HIQA Reports on Child Protection and Welfare, and the National Out of Hours Service
Tusla – Child and Family Agency acknowledges today’s publication of two HIQA reports following inspection of child protection and foster care services (in 10 of our 17 areas) and the national out of hours service.
The first report highlights challenges previously identified by Tusla, including a significant increase in referrals (32% between 2020-2023), increased complexity of cases presenting, and inadequate resources to meet demand, both staffing and care placements, which impacts the timely delivery of services for children and families.
HIQA acknowledges that children and young people assessed as high priority, and at immediate risk, receive the appropriate response, and that the safety and welfare of those children are the primary concern for the Agency. They also acknowledge the extensive and innovative work currently being undertaken by the Agency to strengthen the recruitment and retention of staff, through our graduate programme and partnerships with third level institutions.
The report also details other practice improvements required, including the timely assessment of all children and young people, the implementation of national policies to ensure consistent practice, and improved governance and oversight.
The Tusla National Out of Hours Service (NOHS) inspection report found that, where children had experienced crisis situations in their life and required the assistance of the NOHS, the team took immediate protective action. The service focuses on an immediate crisis response to ensure the safety of a child in emergency and out of hours circumstances, either by supporting the family to provide safety for the child, or by providing an emergency placement as a result of Garda intervention.
The inspection found improvements were required in some areas, such as governance systems within the service, the oversight of day-to-day practice, and the management of risk.
All of the issues identified in both inspections are being proactively addressed, and HIQA have accepted the compliance plans submitted by each of the services inspected, which outlines system improvements and targeted measures to progress the agreed actions.
Speaking about the reports Kate Duggan, CEO Tusla commented: “The external oversight provided by HIQA assists us in continuously improving the quality of our services. We are committed to ensuring that we deliver good quality services in line with the resources available to us, and that resources are utilised to ensure those assessed at immediate risk of harm are prioritised for an appropriate response.
The safety and wellbeing of all children and young people referred to our services, or in our care, remains our driving focus. The implementation of our current Reform Programme is focused on the delivery of timely, equitable, integrated and consistent practice across all service areas, improved governance and oversight, digital transformation, and increased placement capacity. I am confident that this will positively impact the experience of those using our services, enable better outcomes, support our staff and Foster Cares and build trust and confidence in our services.”