Health Minister has expressed his support for
the establishment of a new Children and Families arm's-length
body (ALB).
The ALB was one of a series of recommendations contained within
the Independent Review of Children's Social Care Services led by
Professor Ray Jones. It would bring together services currently
provided by a number of Departments.
The Minister said he believes that an ALB has the potential to
deliver more and better for children, families and staff, but
cautioned that such a proposal can only be taken forward with the
agreement and approval of other Ministers.
“I am supportive of the recommendation to establish a Children
and Families ALB,” the Minister said.
“However, I consider that a step in this direction has to be
capable of delivering additional benefits both now and in the
future and have the potential to evolve and grow over time.
A new ALB has to be more than the drawing together of children's
social care from five Trusts.”
The Minister was speaking at the Foundations for the
Future conference, which was organised to review the
essential groundwork achieved in the first 18 months since the
Review's publication, and how this work will support sustained
progress and tangible outcomes in the future.
Attendees and speakers at the half-day gathering included young
people, parents, carers, and representatives from statutory,
community and voluntary sectors, as well as Prof Jones and
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People,
Chris Quinn.
The Minister said he remained committed to acting on the Review's
recommendations, and outlined work underway, including:
- Workforce - Eliminated the use of recruitment agencies for
social work, with more than 400 newly-qualified social workers
joining Health Trusts over the last two years. Significant
progress made on developing safer staffing guidance for social
work in children's services, and work beginning on the
development of career pathways.
- Foster carers – work ongoing in connection with the
recruitment, retention and support of foster carers, subject to
funding. New Fostering Regulations are nearing completion and
work on new Fostering Standards is well advanced. Work to develop
a new model of family support for Northern Ireland is also
underway.
- Residential care – work underway to enhance capacity in the
immediate term.
- Transitions - Developed a regional protocol for transitions
to be piloted across Trusts in the new year
- Continuing to put in place a bespoke integrated care
framework for care-experienced children in Northern Ireland.
- Waiting lists - Plans in place to introduce a new Children
and Families Support Officer role, as part of a strand of work
targeting waiting lists in children's social care services.
The Minister also launched at the conference a number of digital learning resources
by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC). They are
designed to support social workers and social work students in
their work with children and families.
“I am under no illusion that much remains to be done and that
delivering much needed reform in the current circumstances will
continue to be an uphill battle,” the Minister added.
“All of us owe it to the children and parents across Northern
Ireland to deliver much needed change, to make children's social
care in Northern Ireland as good as it can be.”
Notes to editors:
- The Minister has accepted 34 of the Review's 53
recommendations. Of these, 27 have been formally assigned to the
Children's Social Care Services Strategic Reform Programme, which
was established in April 2023 to address the range of challenges
which currently exist within children's social care. A small
number of recommendations are now complete, will not be taken
forward or are considered beyond the scope of the Review. One of
the recommendations was to hold an annual conference to review
progress in addressing the recommendations.
- Ten recommendations relate to either the appointment of a
Minister for Children, the establishment of a Children and
Families ALB or fall to other Departments.
- The Minister's speech to the Foundations for the Future
conference can be read in full here.
