Minister Andrews meets UK Child Protection Expert and Survivors of Residential Abuse in London

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews, T.D. today met with leading UK child protection expert Lord Laming. Following the meeting in the House of Lords, Minister Andrews travelled to Islington and Camden to meet with survivors of institutional abuse and care providers.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen, T.D. asked Minister Andrews to draft an implementation plan to give effect to the 20 recommendations of the Ryan report by the end of July.

The UK Government published Lord Laming’s report on child protection services in England following the Baby P tragedy. He has spent a lifetime working in child protection, first as a front line practitioner and in more recent years as a policy expert.

“I wanted to meet with Lord Laming as I was struck by the similarities in term s of challenges for social services for children in care in both jurisdictions”, said Minister Andrews.” He outlined a number of experiences that will inform my consideration of the Ryan report. In particular, he stressed the need to follow up inspection services with implementation and to intervene at the earliest possible opportunity with families in crisis.”

Minister Andrews also met with survivors of residential abuse. According to Minister Andrews, “the meeting gave me the opportunity to listen at first hand to the unique experience of those who left the country. I heard raw accounts of survivor’s experience in care and life after care. Those who attended the meeting spoke of their difficulties in forming and keeping relationships. They were concerned that outreach services would continue to provide them appropriately into the future.”