Claims staff in children’s residential homes subjected to abuse

SOCIAL care workers in children’s residential homes are sustaining broken limbs and severe mental trauma at the hands of the children, but are given too little support by their Health Service Executive employers.

That is according to Phil McFadden of IMPACT’s north Dublin health branch, who works in the sector and has encountered numerous social care workers who have experienced violence.

“One girl nearly had her eyes gouged out. Another had her head split open. One had her jaw broken after she was hit by a kitchen utensil. There is also the mental abuse, which can be just as terrible.”

Mr McFadden said the level of violence in the homes never reaches the public’s attention. If a nurse or a garda is injured in the line of work it can be disclosed, but, if it happens in a secure children’s unit, the information must be contained.

“Those who are assaulted do not get the proper support,” he said. “A few years ago one girl sought a transfer out to get some respite in another unit after she was attacked. While she was facilitated at that time, now there are no other jobs free to be filled. With the embargo on recruitment, the problems will be even more prevalent now because there will be less and less staff but more and more children.

“The numbers always increase when the economy spirals because there is no money in the house and frustration levels rise and the children end up with us.

“Management need to take this situation more seriously because the situation is going to explode. We are only one case away from somebody getting seriously injured or even a fatality.”

Mr McFadden claimed the HSE does not keep any statistics on incidents of workplace violence, because it is a problem the health body does not want to acknowledge.

“It is time to put an end to the culture of tolerance for violent attacks against health workers, and time for the employer to take the problem seriously, and make clear commitments as to how they will respond to the problem as part of their obligations under existing health and safety legislation.

“They must show an awareness of the risks and commit to early intervention. They must provide training so that they are able to respond to any threat of violence with a greater degree of confidence. The right training could diffuse a potential threat before it has a chance to escalate. Workers who have experienced violence need support. Access to the appropriate counselling is vital.”