Round-the-clock social workers may soon be made available after preliminary findings of two pilot projects for out-of-hours social work which are currently underway in Donegal and Cork.
Establishment of an out-of-hours social work service is a key recommendation on the Ryan Report, which revealed shocking evidence of child abuse and lack of child protection in the Catholic church.
Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, who personally took-over the chair of the Ryan Report Implementation Group and said today: “Recent reports have highlighted the need to establish an out-of-hours social work service. Families’ crises don’t take a break after 5pm or at weekends, neither should our social work services.
“In line with the Programme for Government, I am committed to delivering on the establishment of an out-of-hours social work service. I welcome the progress being made with the two pilot projects in Cork and Donegal.”
The commitment within the Ryan Report is to put in place a national out-of-hours crisis intervention social work service, built into the existing HSE out-of-hours service.
The Donegal pilot is being conducted in conjunction with the NowDoc service to receive and respond to telephone referrals from the Donegal Gardaí Siochana using a Social Worker out-of-hours list.
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Insiders say the scheme has worked well.
