Residential care charities threatened with 20% funding cut unless service level agreements are signed

Social Care Ireland in solidarity with the voluntary community Sector.

The Voluntary Sector for Residential Care for Children and Young People have, over the years, been a servant to the state. These organisations have and continue to provide care for some of the most traumatised Children and Young people in the state.

The article in in the Irish Times on February 21st 2023 states that their funding would be cut by 20% if individual organisations did not sign up to the Service Level Agreement. This decision is contradictory to TUSLA’s Strategy on Residential Care. The Voluntary Sector is currently under resourced already, without the cut. Currently, there are already huge strains on the state and services to provide placements for Children and Young people. There are a significant group of young people in unregulated placements, such as hotels, B&B’s etc. Without the Voluntary and Community Sector, these unregulated scenarios will only increase as the Private Providers are also experiencing significant pressures with funding and would not be able to increase provision to replace this hugely valuable and necessary resource. Social Care Ireland is advocating that appropriate dialogue and debate is resumed to resolve this impasse as otherwise many Children and Young people will be massively impacted alongside our colleagues who deliver these valuable services on behalf of the state.