Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/BelkaG

'We need consistency': Long delays by Tusla in dealing with abuse allegations, report says

The Ombudsman was critical of Tusla’s procedures for dealing with abuse allegations.

THE RESULTS OF an investigation from the Ombudsman into the way that Tusla handles complaints about its services show long delays by the agency in dealing with allegations of abuse.

The investigation was carried out after the Ombudsman received complaints about Tusla, including how it investigates allegations of child abuse against adults.

Ombudsman Peter Tyndall found that the rights of those accused of abuse were breached in some cases, and Tusla failed to follow its own procedures when keeping social work records. In particular, there was concern on how cases of historic abuse were handled.

For its part, Tusla has already begun to implement some of the recommendations in Tyndall’s report, and has said its procedures will be improved.

Speaking at the launch of his report – called Taking Stock – Tyndall said that while the Ombudsman receives “a relatively small number of complaints”, there were concerns that some of the issues being flagged may have been systemic in nature.

“When we’re looking at those complaints, we look to see if it was a one-off event, or if it was caused by a systemic issue that could cause problems in other cases,” he said.

Tyndall said that the biggest concern was that in cases where failings had been identified, lessons had not been learnt and that newer cases still featured the same problems.

On the foot of several cases of this, Tyndall and his office launched an audit into Tusla’s own internal complaints in June 2016. He said:

There was a delay in dealing with cases of abuse. There were lengthy delays in contacting people who made allegations. We found that fair procedures were not being followed in every instance. Although poor note taking is not unique to Tusla, we found practice that fell well short of what we would have expected.

In some areas, the lack of proper IT systems led to confidential correspondences being sent to the wrong addresses, and contributed to the delays in abuse cases being handled.

Furthermore, frontline social workers were having their workloads inundated by having to deal with complaints. In some cases, the person dealing with a complaint was the same person that the complaint was made about.

On the foot of the Ombudsman’s findings, a detailed series of recommendations were made to Tusla on how to fix these issues, which included:

  • Ensure sufficient qualified staff are recruited.
  • Ensure an electronic case management system is in place.
  • Regularly audit samples of cases to ensure that policy is being followed.
  • Ensure all social workers have up-to-date contact details for all cases.
  • Train staff on new policies to ensure consistency in how they’re applied.
  • Appoint dedicated complaints officers to all Tusla regions.

Tyndall added: “One thing you need to make sure of is any incidents that reveal poor practice is brought to the attention of someone who can do something about it.”

“We’ll get there”

Brian Lee, director of quality assurance at Tusla, said the agency welcomes the report as it will “support continuous improvement” and coincides with issues that Tusla has identified itself in the past year.

He said that the CEO and board at Tusla had signed off on new resources to support the recruitment of dedicated complaints staff.

“We want to take it off our frontline staff,” he said. “The other issue is the application of policy and procedures. It hasn’t always been as successful as we’d like it to be.”

He said that number of referrals to its child protection and welfare service increased sharply in 2016 to 47,000, and this trend has continued into Q1 2017. Lee added:

I’m confident we’ll get there. We’ll address these issues in the medium to long-term.

Reacting to the report, the abuse survivors group One in Four said it was very pleased an independent investigation “now confirms the difficulties we experience in supporting adult clients to engage with Tusla regarding their sexual abuse in childhood”.

The Ombudsman added that there were good relations with Tusla throughout this process, and a demonstrated willingness on the agency’s part to drive these improvements.

“We know Tusla had a difficult birth,” Tyndall said. “We know it is under-resourced but that is starting to change… We need consistency in its approach to abuse allegations.

Consistency can only be guaranteed if senior managers have sight of what’s happening on the ground.

Read: ‘I want my rapist father to die in prison for what he did to me’: Woman continues fight for justice

Read: Foster carers ‘felt disrespected’ by social workers, report finds

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
14 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daragh Cassidy
    Favourite Daragh Cassidy
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 8:56 AM

    Snow on the hills in late November. Wow. Who’d have thought it.

    388
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Kelly
    Favourite Michael Kelly
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 2:09 PM

    @Daragh Cassidy: Don’t fall for that rubbish Story, this is Dublin/ Ireland we’re talking about..! It’ll be Sunny out all next week… Penneys just need to get rid of a few hundred thousand, ( instead of a few thousand ) extra raincoats & umbrellas that somebody from Stock misordered..!

    90
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Dineen
    Favourite David Dineen
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 8:52 AM

    Contact me ,Mr plow “I’m your man “

    172
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
    Favourite Patrick J. O'Rourke
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 8:56 AM

    @David Dineen: As Billy Connolly once wondered…”how does the fella who drives the snow plough get to work”.

    227
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damocles
    Favourite Damocles
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:06 AM

    @Patrick J. O’Rourke: he lives next to the depot.

    70
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Fitzpatrick
    Favourite John Fitzpatrick
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 7:06 PM

    @David Dineen: the plough king is the man

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John O'Connor
    Favourite John O'Connor
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:35 AM

    Half inch of snow?
    National emergency!

    110
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Devlin
    Favourite Stephen Devlin
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 10:25 AM

    @John O’Connor: Yep same with a bit of wind.

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O Keeffe
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 2:19 PM

    @Stephen Devlin: say what you like but the storm warnings before Ophelia definitely saved lives. 3 died which is tragic and it could have been a lot worse.

    150
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute C_O'S
    Favourite C_O'S
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:10 AM

    Lots of red berries still on the Hawthorne trees is a sure sign of a harsh winter ahead. Stock up the larder “InCaseEmergency” ICE situation.

    109
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Dickson
    Favourite David Dickson
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 2:03 PM

    @John Tierney: gather berries.

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lad
    Favourite Lad
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 4:05 PM

    @John Tierney: Yes.

    3
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Abe Brennan
    Favourite Abe Brennan
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 4:39 PM

    @C_O’S: lots of berries on the Hawthorne trees, just means theres lots of berries on the Hawthorne trees.

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute B Ó Raghallaigh
    Favourite B Ó Raghallaigh
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 8:59 AM

    Winter is coming…

    91
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patricia Cautley
    Favourite Patricia Cautley
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:28 AM

    Red alert! Let’s queue to clear out the local supermarkets like during ‘Hurricane’ Ophelia! No better people to prepare for dramatic siege conditions. We panic without basic provisions like crisps, white bread and tea……

    67
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cian O Donoghue
    Favourite Cian O Donoghue
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:49 AM

    @Patricia Cautley: Any house that runs out of tea, well, it isnt an Irish house anyway…

    167
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Séa Graham
    Favourite Séa Graham
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:07 AM

    We need Itsy Bitsy Teeney Weeney Yellow Non Slip Machiney. Someone get on to Doncaster council. Maybe they’ll let us borrow David Plowie as well

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mick Power
    Favourite Mick Power
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 11:01 AM

    @Séa Graham: more like michael o’cleary

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maid Marian
    Favourite Maid Marian
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 11:12 AM

    Would love a white Christmas.

    52
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Séa Graham
    Favourite Séa Graham
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:49 AM

    Remember real snow in the 80′s? None of this melennial rubbish! People in my village would battle through 4ft drifts to get to the church on Sunday. Not for mass, for the bloody great snowball fight after the service.

    85
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Horace
    Favourite Horace
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:28 AM

    Take that global warming.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian O Reilly
    Favourite Brian O Reilly
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:49 AM

    Great for the kids,!

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anthony Halpin
    Favourite Anthony Halpin
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:21 AM

    Que cars and houses getting sprayed with salt from tractor muck – spreaders.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daffy the Bear
    Favourite Daffy the Bear
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 7:28 PM

    @Anthony Halpin: Cue?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fiona deFreyne
    Favourite Fiona deFreyne
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 2:25 PM

    What is happening? We are getting wintry weather in Winter.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lee Jones
    Favourite Lee Jones
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 3:20 PM

    @Fiona deFreyne: technically it is still autumn winter starts the 1st December.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian O Reilly
    Favourite Brian O Reilly
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 2:02 PM

    Two snowmen in a field ,one sniffs the air and enquires of the other “Can you smell carrots?
    I’ll leave now.

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Conway
    Favourite Kevin Conway
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 9:17 PM

    @Brian O Reilly: take your coat… it’s going to be cold out there

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph Dempsey
    Favourite Joseph Dempsey
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 2:15 PM

    What forecast are they looking at? It’s 14 degrees outside now and to remain mild until Friday WTF

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gisbert Bayertz
    Favourite Gisbert Bayertz
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 1:24 PM

    Somebody think of the children

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute dodofrey
    Favourite dodofrey
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 8:53 AM

    Blurg…

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute @muirinho
    Favourite @muirinho
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 2:20 PM

    From article:

    While today is mild with temperatures between 13 and 15 degrees, temperatures are set to drop to five degrees tomorrow and go down to zero tomorrow night.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute @muirinho
    Favourite @muirinho
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 2:21 PM

    Sorry, that was meant to be a reply to @Joseph Dempsey

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Misanthrope
    Favourite Misanthrope
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 3:47 PM

    Sunblock it is then

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Slater
    Favourite Kevin Slater
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 3:13 PM

    Yellow snow warning lol

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute dodofrey
    Favourite dodofrey
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 8:52 AM

    Blurg….

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute whitecross
    Favourite whitecross
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 6:33 PM

    Wow heavy rain in Ireland ,nothing new there we have that in the so called summer .and snow in winter who would have thought that might happen .

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Falcon
    Favourite The Falcon
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 6:13 PM

    Dont eat yellow snow !!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian O Reilly
    Favourite Brian O Reilly
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 10:45 PM

    Kevin Conway: I am well covered thanks though

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.