Vulnerable teenager sees Tusla placement of €1.37m a year overseas ‘new start to her life"
Gordon Deegan
A vulnerable teenager sees her placement at an overseas therapeutic care facility, which is costing Tusla around €1.37m per annum, as a new start to her life”, a court has heard.
At the Family Law Court in Ennis, the appointed Tusla social care worker to the teenager has told Judge Alec Gabbett that the move to the therapeutic facility in Scotland, which includes its own secondary school, “has been very good so far”.
The designated social care worker said, “She sees it as a new start to her life.”
A Tusla colleague also appointed to the same case previously told Judge Gabbett that the cost to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency (CFA) of accommodating the teenager at the therapeutic centre in Scotland will be £23,000 per week. On an annualised basis, this works out at £1.196m (€1.37m).
The designated social care worker told Judge Gabbett that the teenager arrived at the care facility last month and is settling in very well”.
Judge Gabbett told the social care worker: “You have done great work - this is fantastic.”
The social care worker replied: “I could write a book about it, judge.”
She said that the teenager has not engaged in any self-harming behaviour during her time in Scotland so far.
The social worker said that she accompanied the teenager on the flight to Scotland, and they were accompanied by two staff members at the Scottish care facility.
The social care worker said that the move was made possible by a High Court order in Dublin and a validation court order obtained in Scotland.
The social care worker said that the teenager gave evidence in the High Court here, “where she was well able to articulate how she was feeling - that she just wanted to get the help she needs”.
The social worker said that the teenager had never been on a flight before the flight to Scotland.
The social worker said that the teenager is enjoying herself at the care facility and has been “to the zoo, shopping and ice skating”.
The designated social worker says that at the care facility, the teenager has a house to herself and there are two staff members designated to her.
She said that the facility has its own secondary school on site, and she has met with teachers several times. She said that the school was on a mid-term break when the teenager arrived at the facility.
She said that the school has a maximum of four children per classroom.
The social worker said that the centre was “very much focused on a very good start for her and a big welcome and room was done up exactly how she wanted”.
She said that arrangements have been made for family members to travel over to Scotland to celebrate the teenager’s birthday.
