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.

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.