Equal Footing: OCO highlights urgent need to regulate Home Care and Support Services for children

The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) is calling on the new Minister for Health to take on board the recent recommendations of the Oireachtas Health Committee to include children in regulations being developed for providers of Home Support Services. In a new report on the need for independent oversight of Home Care and Support Services for Children, published today, the OCO is highlighting our concern that children are currently excluded from the draft framework. That’s despite there being over 650 children with complex needs in receipt of these vital services in their family home.  The report shines a light on the story of baby Luke, a child with complex healthcare needs, whose father made a complaint to us over how his son’s home care was managed. Baby Luke’s case is a real-life example of why we believe that these vulnerable children must be included in the independent oversight of these services.

The OCO’s Director of Investigations, Dr Nuala Ward, said:

“Home care and support services provide a vital lifeline to parents of children with complex healthcare needs, enabling them to live at home with their families as is their right. While many families receive excellent services, we know from complaints to our Office that this is not always the case. We are acutely aware of the specific vulnerabilities of these children and therefore believe that any such service must be subjected to the highest level of scrutiny.

“To highlight this, we have included in our report the case of Baby Luke, whose father told us about how he struggled to get his concerns heard about the quality of service being provided to their baby. Luke’s case shows the vital importance of robust oversight of these services so families can be assured that their children, who are among the most vulnerable, are being provided with consistent, high quality and safe care.

“We have previously highlighted our concerns to both the Departments of Health and Children and wrote to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health on the issue in July 2024, as part of its pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Health Bill.

“We welcome their recommendation that the regulations should include children, as well as all State-funded services, including nursing care. There is still time for Minister Carroll Mac Neill to include children, as recommended, and to bring this amendment forward in the Spring Legislative programme. It is simply wrong that HIQA’s new oversight role of these services excludes these children.

“As some of the most vulnerable users of Home Care and Support Services it is only right that children’s rights are properly considered and safeguarded in the provision of these services and on the same footing as adults.”

ENDS

• 20 February 2025
• Type: Press Release