Issue 31: March 2001 - Youth Work Ireland

Policing the Will of the Gardai to ImplementGarda Clearanceby C. N iall McElweeIntroductionThis article seeks to explore the issue of students onthird level Social Care courses (Child and YouthCare) attempting to obtain clearance from the Irishpolice (Garda Siochana) to work with vulnerablechildren and young people. It argues that the Gardaiwill need to be more proactive than has been thecase heretofore and that Social Care students andpractitioners must continue to politicise this issue if itis to be resolved. It appears as if the issue of thirdlevelstudent police clearance just will not go away.At present, the Gardai are not obliged to providestudents of Social Care with clearance whilst theyare studying for their Certificates, Diplomas andDegrees. This has led to an unhappy situationbetween the third level providers of education andtraining and some social care agencies wherestudents might ordinarily locate practicumexperience.The Irish Association of Social Care Educators iscollectively pursuing the issue of obtaining Gardaclearance.O Mildred Fox, TD for Wicklow, maderepresentations to the Minister for Justice in April2000 after a formal communication on the matter bythe aforementioned IASCE.2for change across a number of areas such astraining, qualifications, registration and professionalstatus (McElwee, 2000).The Director of one prominent residential social careagency providing care for young offenders hasrecently written to the Heads of Courses in theInstitute of Technology sector advising them of hisconcerns in an era of increasing understanding ofchild sexual abuse.3 Specifically, he has raised theissue of 'unsuitable' people gaining access tovulnerable children. In his circular to the Heads ofSocial Studies, the Director comments:As you are aware, paedophiles and otherperpetrators of sexual, physical and emotionalabuse on children are often extremely articulate andplausible individuals who are often exceptionallydifficult to identify even with a fill criminal recordcheck' (Keating, 2000).Of course, Keating is not the first professional toraise such concerns. One has only to rememberback to the influential Kennedy Report (1970) andthe later Task Force on Child Care Services (1980)to witness such concerns in the field. Nonetheless,this is an important and timely topic for considerationas Keating is the first Director of a social care centreto formally pursue this matter with the IrishAssociation of Social Care Educators. I anticipatemany more joining in the call in the near future.The New Landscape of Social CareProvisionThe 1991 Child Care Act in this country has createda new working landscape for child protection andwelfare and the police have been given a central roleas advocates in the arena of child protection andwelfare in addition to their more traditional role of lawenforcers. The public is now more enlightened withThe (Initial) Response of the PoliceThe Irish Association of Social Care Educatorscontacted Garda Headquarters in Dublin in January2000 outlining its concerns as educators of socialcare practitioners.The Association was informed that:regard to child abuse and neglect and child (a) Garda clearance is only processed forprotection and welfare and is less willing than in thepast to simply allow the situation to remain health boards.unchanged.prospective full time health care workers of the(b) The matter was being discussed with the GarciaThe practice organisations (Irish Association of Care Commissioner with a view to responding to theWorkers and Resident Managers' Association) have increasing number of applications made to thealso lobbied the relevant government departmentsGardai from a wide variety of agencies.Irish YouthWork Scene 6 March 2001