The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published an inspection report on the foster care service operated by the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) in the Donegal service area.

HIQA is authorised by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs under Section 69 of the Child Care Act, 1991, as amended by Section 26 of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011, to inspect foster care services provided by Tusla, to report on its findings to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and to inspect services taking care of a child on behalf of Tusla, including non-statutory providers of foster care. HIQA monitors foster care services against the 2003 National Standards for Foster Care.

As part of the 2017/2018 monitoring programme, HIQA has conducted thematic inspections across all 17 Tusla service areas, focusing on the recruitment, assessment, approval, supervision and review of foster carers. These thematic inspections are announced and cover eight standards relating to this theme.

Of the eight standards assessed in the inspection of the Donegal foster care service, no standards were compliant, four standards were substantially complaint, and four standards were found to be non-compliant, of which one was identified as moderate non-compliant and three were identified as major non-compliances.

The Donegal foster care service had a total of 132 foster care households, with 111 general foster care households and 21 relative foster care households.

All foster carers in the area were allocated to a professional qualified social worker. The area also operated a duty system in the event that an allocated social worker was not available then another social worker would be available to the foster family, which was an example of good practice in the area. Foster carers received regular support visits. Formal supervision of foster carers had recently been implemented in the area.

Assessments of prospective foster carers were comprehensive, detailed and of good quality; however, they were not always timely. The area had developed a dedicated team with sole responsibility for recruitment and assessment in order to ensure that assessments were completed in a timely way.

There was a training strategy and comprehensive training programmes in place for all foster carers, and the area was proactive in encouraging foster carers to attend.

Improvements were required in the placement of children with relatives in an emergency, safeguarding and reviews of foster carers. Mechanisms of oversight and monitoring of preliminary checks were not adequate, as not all the preliminary checks had been completed as required by regulations where children were placed in an emergency.

There was a lack of oversight of the implementation of risk management plans which had been developed in response to risks identified within placements. Not all adults who had significant contact with children in placements and young people over 16 living in the foster carer’s home had the necessary An Garda Síochána vetting. HIQA requested and received assurances that steps were taken to ensure that appropriate vetting was in place for those outstanding.

Reviews had not been completed for all foster carers every three years as required by the standards; 82% of foster carers did not have a foster care review completed. As a result, the area had not assessed foster carers’ continuing capacity to provide good quality care to children.

The Donegal service area has provided an action plan response to address the non-compliances identified on inspection.