Hiqa Highlights Strong Care Standards but Warns of Staffing and Capacity Gaps in Children’s Services

Dublin: The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has published its 2024 Overview Report on children’s social care, covering residential centres, special care units, foster care, child protection services, and the Oberstown Children Detention Campus.

Hiqa found that children who had an allocated social worker or care worker generally received high-quality support, and many young people reported positive improvements in their services. However, significant challenges remain, particularly in staff recruitment and retention, as well as securing suitable placements for children in care.

Hiqa noted an urgent need to expand capacity across foster care, residential centres, and special care units. The authority also reiterated concerns about children placed in unregulated Special Emergency Arrangements, which fall outside its regulatory oversight.

Hiqa’s head of children’s services, Eva Boyle, emphasised that a stable workforce is essential to delivering consistent, high-quality care and welcomed ongoing work to expand Hiqa’s regulatory remit.

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