Dr Aoibhinn Walsh - Behind Invisible Bars Conference

The reality of children living in congregated settings was examined at a conference in Sligo on April 1st 2025.

Entitled “Behind Invisible Bars”, the conference brought professional’s perspectives of the barriers and facilitators, including pandemic related challenges, in accessing healthcare and optimising health outcomes and their experiences in delivering same. They addressed the health inequalities and how to improve access to healthcare for vulnerable and excluded children, informed by a human rights based approach.

Children and young people living in in temporary congregated accommodation are particularly vulnerable to poor health outcomes and face challenges in accessing Healthcare in comparison to the general population.

Attendees were played an audio account from ‘John’, a child who has lived in congregated settings.
He described how at one stage there were nine of his family living in two rooms. There was no privacy, no space to do homework. Also as they were sharing a kitchen with up to five other families, the spread of viruses was commonplace.
He explained that getting a council house was “like a fresh start” and he now has privacy.

Over 200 attendees from the HSE, Tulsa, Local Authority and community and voluntary organisations attended the local HSE Social Inclusion Conference.

The North West Social Inclusion Office works across a range of statutory services in partnership with the community and voluntary sectors to reduce the health inequity and improve access to health services for vulnerable and excluded groups.

People who experience one or more aspects of social exclusion can experience high levels of ill-health and significant challenges in accessing healthcare.

Social exclusion can arise for many reasons and is common among people who experience state care in childhood, drug addiction, incarceration, homelessness, forced migration and/or those who belong to a minority ethnic group such as Traveller or Roma communities. It is crucial that health and social care providers understand and respond to the barriers people experience in accessing healthcare and the HSE Social Inclusion Unit based in Sligo plays a key role in reducing health inequality regionally.

In addition to the delivery of person-centred care and case management, the North West Social Inclusion Office, provides funding to the community and voluntary sector. This funding enables groups who are directly working with vulnerable and marginalised groups in our communities to provide specialist care, support, advice and education.

In the north west over the past number of years we have seen a steady increase in the number of children residing in temporary congregated settings such as Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BTOP), families presenting as homeless, members of the Traveller Community and International Protection applicants.

Please see presentation video by Dr Aoibhinn Walsh, Consultant Specialising in Paediatric Social Inclusion, Temple Street.