Social care: 4,000 children in NI waiting on services

More than 4,000 children are waiting for assessments and help from social care services in Northern Ireland.

A major independent review found a much higher rate of children being referred to services in NI than in the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Prof Ray Jones, who led the review, said "children only have one childhood and the clock is ticking".

Many are on waiting lists for more than a year, with the longest wait being more than two.

Prof Jones also noted that a higher proportion of Northern Ireland's children were seen as being in need of help, have child protection plans and a "record" number of children are in care.

The report put forward 53 recommendations.

Among the report's conclusions was that children's social care services required a "major fix" and the difficulties faced need to be "tackled with pace".

The Department of Health said it recognised the "challenges within children's social care services" and it "fully accepts that change is necessary".

There are 53 recommendations in Prof Jones' report

Prof Jones was appointed by former Health Minister Robin Swann in 2022 to carry out the review, which was prompted by concerns about high levels of staff vacancies and many children and families not getting the help they needed.

His major recommendation was that a region-wide organisation should be created to deliver children's social care services and to create the platform to address the significant issues which need to be tackled.

'We have more to prove'

Josephine Dowell, 22, spent her life in foster care. She said the system could be "difficult and unnatural".

She is now studying towards a degree in social care.

Part of Voices of Young People in Care she was interviewed by Prof Jones and has influenced many of the recommendations.

Speaking to BBC News NI, Josephine said that the service could have "positive support systems like a positive family that can help get you through it".

However, she said young people in care are stigmatised and often have more to prove which is unfair.

Josephine Dowell spent years in foster care

At 16 she went through a difficult transition when a new foster family and social care team had to be found.

Once that new package was put in place, Josephine said she was on the "road to success".

"I started to get back into education, build friendships and that got me through to where I am today," she said.

According to Ms Dowell the lack of continuity of professional staff in her life had caused various problems.

She said she had to constantly "retell" her story to new teams of staff.

The report said children's services were working within five "pressurised" local health trusts which have "big issues to tackle including hospitals".

It added that it was not possible to give the dedicated attention needed to tackle the difficulties and provide the help needed by children and families.

Prof Jones recommended the region-wide body would include all the current health trusts and statutory children's social care services, along with other allied services and professions.

The report said families were under a great deal of pressure and for many it was getting worse.

"More families are struggling as poverty is increasing and deepening, and the absence of an executive and assembly means that urgent issues, such as the cost-of-living crisis, are not being tackled," it said.

The review noted that there are many impressive services delivered by "skilled and committed workers".

However, it also heard from children and their families that there was a "high turnover of social workers, that children and families are concerned that they have not got the help they needed when they needed it, and that the help which is available is not consistent across all areas".

Prof Jones said services across all trusts are under great pressure.

Analysis: Direct, thorough and at times critical

A report which concerns the welfare and happiness of children is always significant - and Prof Jones is right on the money.

It's written with passion for the care and wellbeing of children and authority to try and make a difference.

He gets Northern Ireland when he says: "There's a fear this review will be just another review with little or no impact."

Politicians and health professionals can't afford to waste time nor can the £750,000 spent on compiling this report be wasted.

It is brimming with recommendations - most of all the need for one body to ensure greater efficiency.

However, the professor is realistic when he says bringing about change will be like "turning the Titanic".

Department of Health permanent secretary Peter May said he was pleased Prof Jones had "highlighted many examples of the impressive services delivered by our skilled and committed teams".

He said the department had completed a review of the social work workforce in March 2022 and a priority was the "stabilisation of the children's services workforce".

Mr May added that other decisions would require ministerial sign off, but in the meantime the department would "undertake a public consultation on the organisational and service changes recommended, and make the necessary preparations for an incoming minister".