Background
The Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse recommends that children in care should be able to communicate without fear. In order to ensure that children currently in State care are provided with opportunities to communicate without fear and are effectively listened to a consultation process with children and young people in State care will be conducted. Children and young people receiving long-term, non-episodic State care under the Child Care Act (1991) or the Children Act (2001) in the following care settings will be included in the consultation process:
- Foster care
- Residential care
- Children with disabilities living in residential care
- Detention Schools
- St Patrick's Institution
- Separated children seeking asylum
- Young people who have recently left the care system
The consultation process will be spearheaded by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA), in co-operation with key stakeholders including, the HSE, the Research Division of the Department of Health and Children, the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS), the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) within HIQA and the Irish Association of Young People in Care (IAYPIC), the Probation Service and other key stakeholders.
Aims and objectives of consultations
The aims and objectives of the consultations are to get the views of children and young people in the care of the State on:
- the issues that really matter to them and on which they would like to be heard
- explore existing mechanisms for children and young people to express their views
- make recommendations on future structures to be established for children and young people to express their views
These bodies will form a consultation oversight committee and will work with, or appoint individuals/organisations to develop appropriate methodologies, conduct effective consultations, document consultation outcomes and prepare a final report. Other organisations with expertise in working with specific groups of children and young people will be invited to work with, or become part of the oversight committee.
The Terms of Reference for The Oversight Group on consultations with Children and Young People in the Care of the State are:
To provide strategic oversight to the consultation process, specifically:
- Agree methodology for consultation for each care group
- Advise on issues arising in regard to each care group
- Facilitate access to children and young people in each care group
- Provide support, where necessary, at each consultation event
- Agree final report
The proposed methodology for consultations includes an Open Space method to explore the following issues:
- Issues that matter to them in the care setting in which they live
- How do they currently express their views?
- What is good about this and why?
- What does not work and why?
- In the future, what mechanism would they like to express their views?
National Federation Representatives
Ms. Karen Henderson, Senior Speech & Language Therapist, Cheeverstown House, Templeogue, Dublin 6W. E-mail:khenderson@cheeverstown.ie
and
Ms. Aine McGuirk, Programme Manager, St Augustines, St. John of God Services, Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Email: aine.mcguirk@sjog.ie
have been nominated to represent the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies on the Oversight Committee appointed to carry out the consultations.