Teen care unit probe reveals litany of failure

GIRLS going missing in the middle of the night, stolen keys, out-of-control behaviour, self-harming, and staff who could not cope with teenagers in their care.

These were just some of an extraordinary litany of failures found by HIQA inspectors assessing the care of young people detained for their own safety at a special care unit (SCU) for troubled teenagers outside Cork city.

Gleann Alainn, which houses girls from 11 to 17 years of age on foot of a High Court order, was deemed to be “in a state of crisis” by inspectors who found “extremely high-risk behaviour” and a team of people who were not confident or proficient with child protection concerns.