A senior social worker was found to be responsible for professional misconduct and poor professional performance due to the inappropriate placement of children in foster care and failure to inform Tusla about child protection issues.
fitness to practice research by CORU – the regulatory body of health and social care professionals – found a series of proven allegations about John Martin, the former director of foster services at Fresh Start, a Carlow-based childcare provider.
It followed a public inquiry held over eight days between November 2021 and March 2022, investigating complaints about Mr Martin first reported to CORU in 2017. Those complaints arose from the findings of highly critical reports from The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) following Fresh Start inspections.
CORU’s Professional Conduct Commission investigated 17 different allegations involving children placed in foster care in central Leinster.
There was evidence that many of the placements ended abruptly, with gardaí having to provide emergency care in some cases.
In one of its key findings, the committee said it was Mr Martin’s professional misconduct and poor professional performance to place seven children in foster care on dates between January 2015 and February 2016, when he knew it was inappropriate and contrary to law. reached an agreement with Tusla at a meeting on December 18, 2014. The survey found that several children had complex needs.
The committee chair, Susan Ahern, said Mr Martin knew from the meeting that no more children would be allowed to be placed with a particular foster home until concerns raised about them were allayed.
Ms Ahern says that the social worker believes that the foster carers are recognized and able to perform their duties.
Martin told the investigation that his actions regarding the placements were “good and safe” and he believed he was doing the right thing for the children.
However, Ms Ahern said he never documented or brought such views to Tusla’s attention at the December 2014 meeting.
Mr Martin admitted facts related to most of the charges, including his failure to set up a system to notify authorities of critical incidents, but denied that they constituted violations of the Code of Professional Conduct and ethics of CORU.
The social worker admitted that he placed five children in foster care at various times in 2015 when he knew it was inappropriate because it was more than the maximum number allowed.