The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published an inspection report on the child protection and welfare service operated by the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) in the Midlands service area.

HIQA is authorised by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth under Section 8(1)(c) of the Health Act 2007 to monitor the quality of services provided by Tusla to protect children and promote their welfare. HIQA monitors Tusla’s performance against the National Standards for the Protection and Welfare of Children and advises the Minister and Tusla.

HIQA conducted an inspection of the Midlands service area over three days in December 2021. This inspection assessed compliance with the national standards relating to the management of children who are at ongoing significant risk of harm and who are placed on Tusla’s Child Protection Notification System (CPNS). Of the six standards assessed, four were found to be compliant and two were substantially compliant.  
Overall, this inspection found that this was a well-managed and well-led service, with effective leadership, governance and management arrangements in place. There were good systems in place to monitor and review service provision for children on the CPNS. Risks were appropriately identified, addressed and monitored and measures in place to mitigate against risk were effective.  

The area had interim national guidelines on child protection case conferencing on the CPNS, which were out of date. Children received social work interventions which were child centred and promoted their safety. Child protection conferences were appropriately facilitated, but there were delays in scheduling initial child protection case conferences in some cases. Review child protection conferences were of good quality and were used effectively to monitor the progress of child protection safety plans in line with the requirements of Children First. 

The monitoring of the safety and progress for children listed on the CPNS was good. Social workers visited children regularly and maintained effective oversight of child protection safety plans. Inspectors found that there was good interagency working in the implementation and delivery of child protection safety plans.  

The inspection report and compliance plan can be found at the link below.