A SUPPORT service for vulnerable teenagers yesterday said it was struggling to meet record demand for help.
The Irish Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Children’s (ISPCC) Teenfocus service received a record 317 referrals in the first six months of 2010 and has some 119 families on its waiting list.
Almost half of the referrals to the service this year relate to young people with emotional and behavioural problems.
The charity said it was struggling to meet with the “unprecedented” surge in demand from parents, teachers and young people as the school term begins.
About one-third of some 500 referrals to the service last year were from schools, about a quarter were from the Health Service Executive and a quarter from parents or young people.
Families and young people are “under immense pressure”, said Tess Noonan, Teenfocus manager, yesterday. “This pressure can manifest in many ways which has a negative impact on both home and school life.”
Caroline O’Sullivan, director of services at the ISPCC, said she was “concerned” that there was a waiting list for the service. The list showed there were “clear gaps that exist in preventative services for children in Ireland”.
