Inspectors criticise ‘below par’ safety standards at special needs children’s home
The Irish Social Services Inspectorate, which inspected the residential home in the Dublin South West Community Care Area, was also critical of delays in developing care plans for children (aged 11-16) and of poor budgeting.
Six of the 14 childcare staff had no qualifications. Inspectors noted satellite TV had been disconnected because the bill had not been paid. And staff told inspectors one child had to wait two weeks to get a new school uniform.
All receipts, including those for chocolate bars purchased by the young people with their pocket money, had to be forwarded to central administration.
“This practice is unacceptable and the board is urged to consider a radical review of the financial systems,” the inspectors said.
The inspectors were also concerned about the use of vouchers to buy clothes by the South Western Area Health Board (now the Health Service Executive South West).
Inspectors were told that before Christmas the validity of the vouchers was challenged in a large department store, and clothing already chosen had to be returned. One young person described this incident as “humiliating”. Inspectors advised this practice should end immediately, and have been told the board has now put a stop to it.
Inspectors were concerned about the staff’s level of awareness of the lack of cleanliness and safety at the home. One girl told inspectors she was unhappy there was no lock on the bathroom door.
Every room needed to be cleaned, and inspectors learned that as the centre’s vacuum cleaner was broken, one worker brought in her hoover to clean the centre when she was on duty.
It was claimed child protection policy at the centre was based on national guidelines but inspectors found this wasn’t the case. “There was evidence that the child care manager had not been notified of any concerns about the centre or the young people placed there,” the inspectors said.
Inspectors heard one young person had difficulties with mobility and had fallen a number of times. This was not reported.
On a positive note, the requirements under the standard on health were met. There was access to specialist services and good professional work undertaken with the children by key workers at the centre. Staff encouraged the young people to participate in community activities and parents were welcomed to the centre. All the young people had social workers who visited regularly and worked with them individually.
