HEALTH AUTHORITIES are not able to respond adequately to hundreds of cases of children at risk of abuse or neglect due to staff shortages and the under-resourcing of social work teams, according to a national review of the service by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The first review of child and family services has exposed major shortcomings in child protection services, with many social work teams reporting long waiting lists of child abuse referrals.
Many social work teams also said the lack of front-line staff and poorly developed family support services meant children at risk were being dealt with on an emergency basis, contrary to best practice.
The HSE is required under the Child Care Act (1991) to annually have a report prepared on the adequacy of the child and family support services available across the State.
The recently-completed report, which runs to more than 900 pages, is the first such review and covers child and family services for 2005.
Among the gaps identified in the report are:
A waiting list of 374 social work cases in the north Dublin area which had not been properly assessed. In north central Dublin some children are waiting up to a year to be allocated a social worker.
In Cork, health authorities admitted that all services were under strain. On the city's northside they said children at risk were unable to receive prompt attention and intervention. On the southside, social work teams were operating at full capacity and more staff were needed to address a backlog of work
At-risk children waiting up to three and a half years in Co Kerry for services such as psychiatric support.
Other teams reported that most admissions to care were being made on an emergency basis rather than being planned, in contravention of the HSE policy for children at risk.
Low staff numbers and the employment ceiling, combined with a growing child population, were exacerbating inadequacies in the child protection service, the HSE review noted.
Most child protection teams also reported that while family support services could play a key role in preventing children entering the care system, such services tended to be patchy and underdeveloped.
In a statement, the HSE said in all cases where there is a serious and immediate risk to the health or welfare of a child, it responds immediately and takes appropriate action.
It points out that an additional 335 social work posts have been introduced since the beginning of 2005, representing a 17 per cent increase in the number of social workers employed in the health service.
It also says that spending on child protection and social work services has increased from €45 million to €81 million, reflecting its emphasis on preventive services.
However, social workers say many of the gaps identified in the report have not been addressed and that the recent recruitment embargo has exacerbated problems even further.
Among the other major gaps outlined in the report are a lack of an out-of-hours social work services for emergency cases and a lack of specialised residential places for children at risk with challenging behaviour
Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay said the report showed there was still too much emphasis on dealing with child protection cases on an emergency basis.
"The State typically picks up the pieces after the damage is done. A greater emphasis on family support service would help to prevent much of this," he said.
"It's about intervening in cases of five-year-olds being left at home alone, kids being beaten or having parents who are addicted to drugs and unable to cope.
"They may be considered low grade concerns, but they are clear indicators of much more serious problems arising further down the line," said Mr Finlay.
