The nature of child protection practices: an Irish case study

Child protection social work in Ireland has been expanding at a significant pace over the past decade, particularly since the implementation of the 1991 Child Care Act and the emergence of a number of child abuse ‘scandals’ since the early 1990s. One health board area in Ireland, itself subject to one of the most controversial child abuse inquiries, commissioned a research study into the nature of child protection practices in the area. The aim of the research was to evaluate the overall child protection system and to consider what impact, if any, new practice guidelines and procedures, implemented in the aftermath of the inquiry, had made on the service. This paper considers some of the key findings from the research and considers these in the context of the overall Irish child protection system. Three particular aspects of the research are focused on: the use of procedures and guidelines, the nature of interagency cooperation and the position of social workers within this, and the overall nature and direction of the child care system.