Child Care

Residential Care

Welcome to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety website on Residential Care. This is intended for anyone involved in residential care for children and young people.

The residential child care sector has seen significant changes, in the level and type of provision, in recent years and this prompted the creation of the Children Matter Task Force in July 2000. The following principles were established by the Task Force and continue to underpin developments in residential child care policy:

residential care is an integral part of the child welfare system;
a range of residential provision is required to provide appropriate services for children. Where possible, children should be placed locally, unless the need for specialist services dictates otherwise;
residential care is a valuable service in its own right, which is a placement of choice for some children;
placement choice is intrinsically linked to quality of care and the safeguarding of children’s wellbeing;
a statement of purpose and function for each home is essential to the effective operation of homes overall. Each statement of purpose should define the type and method of work undertaken at the home and inform staffing and admission arrangements;
homes should be small and domestic in nature, not provided on campus sites, or on sites providing for other users;
social work is the core discipline within the residential sector;
where other disciplines are recruited this is a part of the home’s overall statement of purposes and function, and as a complement to the social work establishment; and
there should be equality of access to residential child care places for all children.

Health and Social Care Trusts

The five Health and Social Care Trusts are responsible for providing residential care services to children and young people. Telephone contact numbers are contained in the business section of the Phone Book for Northern Ireland under “Health Trusts” and are reproduced on the contacts section of this website.

Private and Voluntary Agencies

There are also a number of private and voluntary Agencies that provide residential care services, for example, Barnardo's and Extern. Details of some Agencies are reproduced on the Residential Care Links section of this website.

Guidance and Regulations

Current Northern Ireland legislation relating to residential care for children and young people.

The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
The Refuges (Children’s Homes and Foster Placements) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996
The Arrangements for Placement of Children (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996
The Review of Children’s Cases Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996
Contact with Children Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996
Definition of Independent Visitors (Children) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996
The Representations Procedure (Children) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996.
The Children's Homes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Guidance to the HSC Board and Trusts on residential care for children and young people is contained within “The Children (NI) Order 1995: Regulations and Guidance Volume 4: Residential Care”.

Copies of legislation can be accessed online at www.opsi.gov.uk

Priorities

The development of family and childcare services remains a priority for the Department.

Priorities for action in 2003/2004 included:

Boards and Trusts should develop arrangements and agree initiatives with Education and Library Boards and schools so that by March 2004 there is a 15% increase in the number of children leaving care with recognised educational or vocational qualifications.
Boards and Trusts should continue to progress the implementation of the Children Matter Regional Plan for the development of residential child care …..”

The 2004/2005 Priorities for Action again highlighted the Department’s desire to see significant progress in implementing “Children Matter”.

Contacts

Health and Social Services Trusts

The addresses and telephone numbers of the 11 Health and Social Services Trusts are reproduced for anyone wishing to make contact with the family and child care teams.

Program Manager Family & Child Care Services North West Belfast HSS Trust Glendinning House 6 Murray Street BELFAST BT1 6DP Tel: 028 90 327156	Program Manager for Child Care Services South & East Belfast HSS Trust Knockbracken Healthcare Park 310 Saintfield Road BELFAST BT8 8BH Tel: 028 90 565555 Fax: 028 90 565813
Program Head Family & Child Care Ulster Community & Hospitals HSS Trust Health Care Centre 39 Regent Street NEWTOWNARDS BT23 4AD Tel: 028 91 816666	Family & Child Care Program Manager Down Lisburn HSS Trust Lisburn Health Centre 25 Linenhall Street LISBURN BT28 1BH Tel: 028 92 665181
Principal Social Worker for Child & Family Care Oakdale House Newry Mourne HSS Trust Dromalane Road NEWRY BT35 8AP Tel: 028 30 825000	Child & Family Care Manager Craigavon Banbridge Community HSS Trust The Hawthorns 2 Old Lurgan Road PORTADOWN BT63 5SQ Tel: 028 38 333747
Principal Social Worker for Child & Family Care Armagh & Dungannon HSS Trust Gosford Place The Mall ARMAGH BT61 9AR Tel: 028 37 522262	Community Services Manager for Family & Child Care Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 2 Coles Hill Road ENNISKILLEN BT47 7HG Tel: 028 66 344000
Community Services Manager for Family & Child Care Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust Tyrone & Fermanagh Hospital OMAGH Tel: 028 82 255043	Programme Manager Family & Child Care Foyle HSS Trust Riverview House Abercorn Road LONDONDERRY BT48 6SA Tel: 028 71 266111
Principal Social Worker Causeway HSS Trust 8E Coleraine Road BALLYMONEY BT53 6BP Tel: 028 27 666600	Unit Director Children Services Homefirst HSS Trust The Cottage 5 Green Mount Avenue Ballymena BT43 6DA Tel: 028 25 633700

Links

Barnardo's Northern Ireland
542/544 Upper Newtownards Road
Belfast
BT4 3HE
Tel: 028 90672366
Fax: 028 90672399
Website: www.barnardos.org.uk

Extern
Graham House
1-5 Albert Square
Belfast
BT1 3EQ
Tel: 028 90240900
Fax: 028 90331498
Website: www.extern.org

Belfast Central Mission
Grosvenor House
5 Glengall Street
Belfast
BT12 5AD
Tel: 028 90241917
Fax: 028 90240577
Website: www.belfastcentralmission.org

Sisters of Mercy
Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy
Provincial House
74 Main Street
Clogher
BT76 0AA

Challenge
27-31 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 7AA
Tel: 028 90310819

VOYPIC (Voice of Young People in Care)
12 Talbot Street
Belfast
BT1 2LB
Tel: 028 90244888
Fax: 028 90242733
Website: www.voypic.org