HSE Child Protection and Welfare Service in Carlow/Kilkenny - hiqa.ie

Inspection of the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Service in Carlow/Kilkenny Local Health Area in theHSE South RegionHealth Information and Quality Authority1. IntroductionThe purpose of the inspection report is to provide assurances to the public thatservice providers have implemented and are meeting the National Standards and aremaking the quality and safety improvements that safeguard children and youngpeople.The delivery of children and family services is undergoing a period of change inIreland. Statutory responsibilities in relation to child protection and welfare will betransferred to a new agency, the Child and Family Agency (CFA) once new legislationhas been enacted. This inspection took place in the context of these imminentchanges taking place within services, both in terms of new structures and systemsand technical supports.In accordance with section 8(1)(i) of the Health Act 2007, the Health Informationand Quality Authority (the Authority) will provide a copy of the finalised report to theMinister for Children and Youth Affairs on whether or not the service provider has thenecessary arrangements in place to safeguard children. The findings of thisinspection are set out under six themes from the Authority’s National Standards forthe Protection and Welfare of Children. The first two themes relate to the dimensionof quality:• Child-centred services – how services place children at the centre of what theydo. This includes the concepts of supporting families, access, equity andprotection of rights.• Safe and effective services – how services deliver best achievable and safeoutcomes for children and families, using best available evidence and information.Delivering improvements within these quality dimensions depends on services havingcapability and capacity in four key areas:• Leadership, governance and management – the arrangements put in placeby a service for clear accountability, decision making, risk management as well asmeeting their strategic, statutory and financial obligations.• Use of resources – using resources effectively and efficiently to deliver bestachievable outcomes for children and families for the money and resources used.• Workforce – planning, recruiting, managing and organising staff with thenecessary numbers, skills and competencies.• Use of information – actively using information as a resource for planning,delivering, monitoring, managing and improving care.The inspection findings highlight areas of good practice as well as areas whereimprovements are required. The inspection report is available to children, parents,2