Gardaí were frequently called to a child residential centre in Dublin where incidents of bullying, fire-setting and criminal behaviour were recorded, according to the findings of an inspection.
Following a visit to the Tusla-run facility in August, officials from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) concluded that management systems were “not rigorous” and that staff were “overwhelmed” by the violent and aggressive behaviour of residents.
There was a “large amount” of incidents of self-harm in the home which staff were not adequately trained to deal with, and inspectors also highlighted the issue of inappropriate relationships between the children which proved a “reoccurring difficulty”.
Particular concern was raised about one child who was admitted to the unidentified centre against the recommendation of a social care manager, and who “remained at risk” while in the centre.
The arrangement was unsafe for the child, according to their legal guardian, and parents of other residents said they also felt their children were being subjected to an unsafe environment.
There had been 386 “significant” incidents in the centre including property damage, violence, aggression, absconsion and substance misuse over a 12-month period prior to the unannounced inspection last summer, and a lack of robust analysis meant such behaviour went “unaddressed and misunderstood”.
The centre failed to meet any of the eight standards tested against during the visit, and significant risks were identified in four areas.
There were two children availing of the facility’s residential services at the time of the visit.
Staff earned praise for positive aspects of care such as their appropriate and respectful interaction with residents even when faced with challenging behaviour, and their attempts to provide a “nurturing environment” for the children.
However, governance and management structures came in for sustained criticism, with the rules and boundaries put in place for children said to be unclear, and strategies deployed to minimise risks to patients and residents were limited and ineffective.
The level of leadership and support provided to staff was deemed inadequate, and the centre manager confessed to inspectors that morale was poor due to the failure to fully address repeated difficulties faced in the line of work.
Insufficient training was a recurring theme throughout the report, especially in the area of self-harm which was a predominating concern.
“There was a large amount of incidents of self-harm in the centre, but staff were not adequately trained. A limited number of staff had completed training in mental health or specific self-harm training,” read one passage of the report.
There was “significant damage to the centre” following repeated episodes of violence, but management at the home earned reproach for their policy of calling gardaí before all “necessary interventions” were performed by staff to de-escalate incidents.