Tusla, Care Orders & the Social Care System
What is a Social Worker’s Initial Assessment?
If Tusla are informed that a child is being harmed or is at risk of harm, a Social Worker will come and perform an Initial Assessment.
What is involved in an Initial Assessment?
A Social Worker from Tusla or a social care worker working on behalf of Tusla will talk to the people in a child’s life, such as the parents, teacher, and GP.
The model used during the assessment is ‘Signs of Safety‘, which focuses on what is working for the child and what is worrying for the child. More information on Signs of Safety can be found here.
This will involve the Social Worker learning:
- What is your child’s life like?
- Is your child in a situation that helps them to grow, develop and be safe?
- What are you doing to care for your child?
- Is your child being harmed?
The Social Worker will discuss what they found out during the initial assessment with their manager.
What are the possible outcomes of the Social Worker's Assessment?
Child and Family Supports Offered
This is where the child and their parents can benefit from help. This can be emotional support for parents, or practical support with issues like budgeting.
Child Protection Conference
This is a meeting to work out if a child is at ongoing risk of significant harm and how the child can be well cared for and protected.
Voluntary Care
This is when parents agree to someone else taking care of their child. Parents may agree to a family member or Tusla taking over the care of their child.
Gardaí Called
If your child is in immediate danger or at risk of serious harm, the social worker may contact the gardaí.
Further Assessment Needed
This is when the social worker does not have all the information they need to make a judgement on the child’s needs.
No Action Needed
At this time, there is no risk of harm to your child.
Court Order Application
Tusla will ask the court to intervene to keep your child safe.
Court orders can include a supervision order, where social workers monitor how your child is being cared for. Parents may be required to do particular things.
Court Orders can also be a Care Order, where children are removed from their parents, and Tusla organise for the child to be cared for.
There are different types of care orders. Find out more here.
What is the Child Protection Notification System (CPNS)?
This is a secure database that can only be accessed by certain professionals, including Social Workers, Gardaí and General Practitioners. This database keeps a list of all of the children who are at an ongoing risk of harm or present ongoing welfare and protection concerns. Sometimes, after an Initial Assessment, a child will be added to the CPNS. This does not happen if the Initial Assessment does not identify the child as being harmed or at risk of harm.
Get in touch
If you are a parent who’d like some support through childcare proceedings, freephone or email [email protected], the Parental Advocacy Service, delivered by Barnardos.
Our independent & confidential service is open to all parents of children in care.
1800 333 355.