Galway Bay fm newsroom - A HIQA inspection of foster care services across the Galway/Roscommon area has found strong levels of compliance.
Of six standards assessed by the authority, three were deemed compliant while a further three were found to be substanially compliant.
At the time of inspection, all children in foster care had an allocated social worker, and over 75 percent of children spoke positively about their experience with their worker.
Assessments of need were carried out on all children, and children with complex needs or disabilities were found to be well supported.
It was acknowleged that the service area has a good matching process in place to ensure children are placed with foster carers who can meet their needs.
Inspectors also found that in general, children are involved in the care planning process, and the vast majority spoke positively about their reviews, as well as about their voice being heard.
It was also noted that throughout Covid-19, staff have been creative in how they maintained contact with children, including garden visits, picnics, walks in parks and video calls.
The HIQA report did identify a few areas in which some improvement was required, including preparing children to leave care and the management of voluntary care agreements.
