Niall Byrne, Deputy Director, Social Services Inspectorate, HIQA

Overview of today’s presentation What is the background to these Standards? What is the purpose of the Standards? What are the key principles informing the Standards? How are the Standards structured? What are the Standard Statement and Features? How will Monitoring/Inspection work? Next steps

What is the background to these Standards? Various reports have highlighted concerns around child protection and welfare practice in Ireland. Under the Child Care Act, 1991, the HSE has a duty to promote the welfare of children not receiving adequate care and protection. The Health Act 2007 establishes a statutory function whereby standards for health and social care services are made by HIQA. Standards Advisory Group helped the Authority develop draft standards for public consultation, and a public consultation process helped refine the draft Standards. Final Standards have been approved by the Board of the Authority and by the relevant Ministers. These Standards are addressed to the HSE Children and Family Services, and its successor agency, which is responsible for delivering the child protection and welfare service on a daily basis.

What is the purpose of these Standards? The purpose of the Standards is to describe the key attributes of a well-functioning and effective child protection and welfare service. The Standards aim to: assist the HSE in effectively protecting and promoting the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. enable children, their families and the wider public to understand what they can expect from the protection and welfare service. provide a basis for monitoring and inspection of the HSE’s Child and Family Services, and its successor agency, by the Authority. The Standards are intended to: ensure the needs of children, young people and their families are at the heart of the protection and welfare service. promote the principles outlined in the Children First guidance.

What are the key principles informing the Standards? Implement Children First in all services to protect children and promote their welfare. Protect children from the risk of harm. Listen to the needs of children and take account of their views. Promote and improve children’s wellbeing. Focus on positive outcomes for children. Provide effective governance arrangements with clear leadership, management and lines of accountability. Deliver services to children based on evidence and good practice.

How the Standards are structured The Standards are defined under six themes as follows Quality themes Child-centred Services Safe and Effective Services Capacity and Capability themes Leadership, Governance and Management Use of Information Use of Resources Workforce

The six themes Of the six themes, the first two relate to the dimension of quality, and the other four themes relate to the key areas of capacity and capability. QUALITY THEMES Child-centred Services – how the service places children at the centre of what they do. This includes the concepts of supporting families, access, equity and protection of rights. Safe and Effective Services – how the service delivers best achievable and safe outcomes for children and families, using best available evidence and information.

CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY THEMES Leadership, Governance, and Management – the arrangements put in place by the service for accountability, decision-making, risk management as well as meeting their strategic, statutory and financial obligations. Use of Resources – using resources effectively and efficiently to deliver best achievable outcomes for children and families for the money and resources used. Workforce – planning, recruiting, managing and supporting staff with the necessary numbers, skills and competencies. Use of Information – actively using information as a resource for planning, delivering, monitoring, managing and improving care.

Standard Statements and Features Standard Statements: describe the high-level outcome required to deliver quality services for the protection and welfare of children. Features: give examples of what the service should consider in order to meet the standard and achieve the required outcome. The list of features provided under each standard statement heading is not an exhaustive list and the service may meet the requirements of the standards in different ways.

Monitoring/Inspection Before the end of 2012, the Authority will be monitoring compliance of the HSE Children and Family Services, both nationally and within each of its 17 areas, with the Standards. Inspections will focus on gathering evidence and then making judgments as to the extent to which the HSE Children and Family Services is complying with the Standards. The Authority’s judgments will be fair and balanced, highlighting good practice, giving credit for improvement as well as being clear as to where the HSE service is falling short of the Standard’s requirements. Reports of inspections will be issued to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and will be published on the Authority’s website.

Next steps The National Standards for the Protection and Welfare of Children have been approved by the Minister for the Health and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The Authority will assess the performance of the HSE Children and Family Services and its successor agency against the National Standards and will report publicly on its findings The Standards will help guide the HSE’s and its successor agency’s response to child protection concerns and how these concerns are managed. The Standards will assist the HSE and its successor agency in building and maintaining a safe and robust system that delivers a quality and effective service to children, young people and families.

Thank you