AQW 49425/22-27


Miss Nuala McAllister
Alliance Party
North Belfast


Tabled Date: 23/06/2026
Answered On Date: 22/07/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of cases in which a social worker wasn't unallocated in September 2025 but have now (i) been allocated a social worker; and (ii) received visits from that social worker, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.


Answer:
The following response has been provided on the understanding that the question is in relation to number of unallocated cases within Children’s Services in Health and Social Care Trusts.
Please find below details on the number of unallocated cases in September 2025 and March 2026, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust and service area which provides the current details available to the Department.
The current information systems within HSC Trusts are not able to provide the information requested in terms of the allocation of cases from September 2025. To provide this response would require a manual trawl of all unallocated families and children which would require significant time away from their duties for frontline Social Work staff.
All HSC Trusts work to the regional guidance for the Management and Monitoring of Unallocated Children and Families in Children’s Services and continually re-prioritise the allocation of children in line with this document.
Unallocated Figures September 2025
Service Area
BHSCT
NHSCT
SEHSCT
SHSCT
WHSCT
Gateway
188
19
53
13
15
Family Support
91
58
102
39
5
Children Looked After
296
28
0
41
0
Children with Disability
67
31
210
182
121
Unallocated Figures March 2026
Service Area
BHSCT
NHSCT
SEHSCT
SHSCT
WHSCT
Gateway
257
15
107
29
0
Family Support
63
17
96
36
34
Children Looked After
270
54
0
58
0
Children with Disability
120
69
137
125
106