Latest news with #SeparatedChildrenSeekingInternationalProtection
RTÉ News
09-07-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Referrals to Tusla increased to more than 96,600 in 2024
Tusla's social workers dealt with 96,666 child protection and welfare referrals last year which was a 5% increase on referrals in 2023. The latest annual report marks ten years since the establishment of the child and family Agency when in 2014, the agency experienced 43,630 referrals. Since then, demand has increased across education, family support, residential care and special care, and services for Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP). The report says that the continued increase in referrals reflects rising pressures on families - including cost-of-living challenges, homelessness, domestic violence, addiction, and global displacement. Last year, 916 children were taken into care, 604 for the first time and 48,443 children were referred to family support services. Staff recruitment is consistently raised in reports and assessments of Tusla as a barrier to children receiving dedicated social workers. However, the report says that in 2024, a total of 1,258 new staff joined the agency, including 143 new social workers through the most successful graduate campaign to date. Despite reports of staff burnout and early exits, staff retention also improved last year, according to Tusla, with a 93% overall retention rate (up from 91.1%) and social work retention rose to 91.5% from 87% in January 2024. Demand remained high across foster care, mainstream residential care, and special care. A new dedicated National Fostering Recruitment Team approved 244 new foster carers - a 21% increase on 2023 which saw 173 carers. However, Tusla has acknowledged that it continues to face challenges particularly in special care, where recruitment of specialist professionals working with young people with complex needs, remains problematic. A number of judges have expressed "despair" last year over a lack of special care beds for some of the most vulnerable children in the State. Tusla has said progress was made in 2024 in this regard through targeted initiatives to attract and retain staff including national and international recruitment campaigns. In collaboration with the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality, Tusla also introduced an enhanced staff grade - Special Care Worker - to "strengthen the delivery of special care services". "This strategic initiative is already showing positive outcomes: the opening of an additional special care bed marks a tangible expansion in capacity, and recruitment under the new grade is now under way, supporting the safe and effective care of some of the most vulnerable children in care," it said.
Irish Independent
30-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Thirty-eight children missing from Tusla care this year as ‘unprecedented' demand puts pressure on services
The document, submitted to the government ahead of the last budget, also revealed a growing trend of young people with complex issues, including mental health difficulties and involvement with the criminal justice system. It said there was a risk that the agency would be unable to meet demand for placements. There were 38 children reported as missing from care on June 5 this year, according to a Tusla spokesperson. Of these, 29 are separated children seeking international protection and nine are young people in mainstream care. The spokesperson said all nine children missing from mainstream care had been in contact with staff at their placement. In total, 29 children have gone missing from care in the Separated Children Seeking International Protection service between 2023 and June 5 this year, including nine this year. A spokesperson said most are over 16. The report describes the children or young people entering residential care from home or foster care as having complex harmful behaviours arising from early life trauma that requires collaborative safety planning. 'Residential care is often seen as the place where the child is placed to be 'fixed' or 'secured',' the report, titled 'Strategic plan for residential care services for children and young people 2022-2025' released under Freedom of Information legislation said. 'The data clearly indicates that a high proportion of these placements break down, there are significant levels of children missing or absent, significant levels of serious incidents within the care setting and placements are being continually lengthened not always to the benefit of the child.' As a result, it said many children have had multiple placements in different residential care centres. It said it is increasingly clear that for a small but increasing cohort of young people, 'we are not adequately meeting their needs, with more reactive approaches, an over reliance on private residential placements and a significant increase in the number of local, non-procured, emergency residential care arrangements'. It noted that the national out-of-hours service had to place two children aged under four in hotel accommodation between January and November 2021. The Tusla spokesperson said the agency remains concerned for the welfare of minors who go missing from its care and who do not get back in touch, and it continues to make efforts to contact the young person and liaises with An Garda Síochána. He said during all care planning work, consideration is given as to whether there are indicators or extra vulnerabilities relating to exploitation. 'Most young people reported as missing return to their placement after a brief period of time and remain in a safe and caring environment,' he said. He said some separated children seeking international protection who go missing from care intend to travel to other countries to join family members. Some indicate that it was never their intention to remain in Ireland and leave soon after they arrive in the country, he said. 'Nonetheless, for those who do not subsequently make us aware of their whereabouts, these young people are counted as missing and An Garda Síochána are notified accordingly,' he said. The Tusla spokesperson said the agency welcomed an increase in funding of almost 14pc or €145m in Budget 2025. However, he said it is experiencing an 'unprecedented' demand across all service types including foster care, residential care, special care, supported lodgings and services for separated children seeking international protection. At the end of last year, there were 5,823 children in care, of whom approximately 87pc were in foster care, 9pc in residential care, and 3.5pc in other care placements. These included living at home under a care order, supported lodgings, detention centres, disability units, hospitals and special emergency arrangements. The spokesperson said extensive work has been undertaken to strengthen the recruitment and retention of staff. This included the launch of the first social work apprenticeship scheme. A total of 72 social work apprentice places are planned this year – a 50pc increase on last year. There has been an overall increase of staff over the last 12 months, which includes an increase of 79 social workers, to 1,674 and an increase of 86 social care workers, bringing the current total to 1,401. 'The agency continues to move to a more multi-disciplinary way of working to address challenges in recruiting a sufficient number of social workers from a very competitive and limited market and to have skilled teams to meet the different needs of the children and families we work with,' he said. He said Tusla is purchasing properties to increase capacity in residential services, and another 29 beds are planned by the year's end.
