Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Tusla has said it accepts the findings of a highly critical report on a children’s residential centre in the south of the country.

The document from HIQA, published today, says systems such as communication and monitoring were ineffective, and such problems resulted in children experiencing “significant harm”.

Inspectors identified “significant risks” in four areas examined during their unannounced visit and found the unnamed centre had gone through a period of crisis in the past year.

Tusla said it had created and begun to implement an action plan to address the deficits identified.

Tusla boss Jim Gibson said: “HIQA inspection reports are an important measurement tool and allow us to ensure that Tusla services operate at the highest possible standard.

“While the report demonstrated evidence of good practice and care, it is with regret that we acknowledge shortcomings in a children’s residential centre in the South Region.”

Among the measures being put in place by Tusla are:

Tusla has reinstated child protection review meetings in the centre and increased their frequency to quarterly;

Tusla has assigned two monitoring officers to carry out monitoring visits in the service on a monthly basis until care and safeguarding practice in the service reaches the required standard. The first of these monitoring visits took place on 21st October 2016;

There will be no further admissions to the service until Tusla and HIQA are satisfied that care and safeguarding practice in the service has reached the required standard;

All staff and management in the service will undergo further training in professional supervision;

Tusla and HIQA have agreed to consider how Tusla’s use of the premises can be adapted to ensure it meets HIQA’s standard for residential centres.