New social workers not in posts despite vow

NONE OF the 60 social workers the Health Service Executive has pledged to appoint this year to strengthen child protection services have taken up their posts.

The delay comes to light following fresh criticism of social services after it emerged that up to 35 young people who were known to child protection services died over the past 18 months.

On foot of the Ryan Report’s recommendations, the HSE was due to appoint at least 60 social workers to help relieve pressure on child protection services.

In a statement last night, the HSE confirmed that none of the additional social workers due to be hired this year were “in post” and was unable to say if they would be in place by the end of this year.

Health authorities introduced what they described as a recruitment pause for the hiring of up to 1,400 staff – including social workers – last July as a result of financial pressures facing the organisation.

Despite the recruitment freeze, the HSE has consistently maintained there is no “restriction on the appointment of posts” of social workers.

Last month, the Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald told the Dáil the additional social work posts were at various stages of recruitment process.

She said: “The appointments were always a priority and the process was ongoing in the HSE. Some have had contracts issued, posts have been accepted awaiting clearance, and others are at various other stages in the recruitment process.”

In a statement to The Irish Times yesterday, the HSE confirmed that none of the planned additional social workers were in place.

It said: “While the pause is in effect the HSE will continue to process, screen and panel applications for posts as set out in the HSE service plan to ensure that successful applicants can take up their positions as quickly as possible, once the recruitment pause ends.”

The HSE was not able to say when this freeze on recruitment would end. The executive said it hired 200 additional social workers last year, in line with the Ryan report recommendations.

Earlier this week the independent chair of a group established to review deaths and serious incidents involving children known to social services expressed concern about failures in the system.

Dr Helen Buckley of Trinity College Dublin, the chair of the National Review Panel, said pressure on frontline social work services meant they were unable to respond quickly to many child welfare referrals. She also criticised the HSE for numerous failures which had led to sub-standard care in some cases.

Dr Buckley said the health executive was responsible for failing to have a standardised method to assess the needs of children and young people who come to the attention of social services.

There was a lack of co-operation between different agencies responsible for providing services to children at risk, she said.