It is very clear from various reports in recent years that have highlighted the scale and seriousness of child abuse in Ireland, that there is a need to significantly improve Ireland’s child protection and welfare services. With this as our guiding principle, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA ) has developed Draft National Standards for the Protection and Welfare of Children which set out the key attributes of an effective and safe child protection service. The setting of standards by HIQA and the monitoring of compliance with them are important levers in driving improvements in the effectiveness and safety of health and social care services for children and families.
The new draft standards have been launched for public consultation until May 17 next by HIQA. The standards document and an easy-to-read guide to the draft standards, can be downloaded from the authority’s website, www.hiqa.ie HIQA has a legal duty to set standards, while the Health Service Executive (HSE ) has a legal responsibility to promote the welfare of children not receiving adequate care and protection and therefore it is critical to ensure that the system for protecting children is effective and robust. The draft national standards have now been developed by HIQA to support continuous improvements in the care and protection of children receiving HSE child protection and welfare services.
The standards put the needs of children at the heart of child protection services and promote the principles outlined in Children First, the national guidelines for the protection and welfare of children. HIQA is committed to ensuring that the safety and wellbeing of children is the top priority for the HSE. The standards will apply to HSE Children and Family Services and its statutory functions which include protecting and promoting the welfare of children at risk in the community, and supporting and protecting children in the care of the State.
The standards put the needs of children at the heart of child protection services
When finalised, the standards will be the basis of HIQA’s future inspections of the HSE’s child protection functions and can also be used as a guide for self-assessment and improvement by all those involved in the protection of children. While HIQA will publicly report on the HSE’s performance and hold the HSE accountable for these services, the standards will enable HSE child protection and welfare services to gear up to the best of their ability to address concerns consistently and to a high standard.
It is important to point out that when implemented, HIQA would review HSE systems rather than individual cases. It is not intended that, as a general rule, the Authority should become involved in the detail of individual child protection cases. Therefore, people who are concerned about the welfare of children in any setting should continue to report any concerns about child protection and welfare to their local HSE health office. The HSE has been consulted in the drafting of these standards as they are critical to the implementation of these standards.
HIQA developed the Standards assisted by a standards advisory group. This is a group of key representatives from the HSE, Government departments, An Garda Síochána, other regulatory bodies, people from the academic and legal fields, non-statutory organisations, and other key stakeholders. The expert group and HIQA looked at and considered international and national published research, standards in Ireland and elsewhere, expert opinion, policy document and reports by national and international governmental and non-governmental organisations.
In general, our standards are not prescriptive but are calling for timely and effective action to be taken to protect children, and that children and their families have timely access to child protection and welfare services. A number of reports on child abuse cases were considered by the Authority and its standards advisory group when developing these standards.
These standards cover issues such as listening to children, assessment and planning, working with other agencies, the protection of children across a range of settings, and the training and support of staff, and are grouped according to six key themes as follows:
Child-centred services
Safe and effective services
Governance, leadership, and management
Use of resources
Workforce
Use of information.
The authority is now seeking the views of the general public and children and young people on the draft national standards. Information collected from this consultation process will be used to inform the development of the standards. Your comments can be submitted through an online survey on the HIQA website, www.hiqa.ie, or by downloading and completing the consultation feedback form on our website and emailing it to [email protected]. You can print off the feedback form and post it to us, or you can write to us.
Once the consultation deadline has passed, the authority will carefully analyse all the submissions made and we make further amendments to the standards document. The finalised standards will be presented to the board of the authority for its approval. Following this, the standards will be submitted for approval to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
Further information on www.hiqa.ie
