Coalition’s response to concerns over teen care unit ‘inadequate’

The Government’s response to serious concerns over the safety of troubled teenage girls at an HSE- run secure facility in Cork has been branded “totally inadequate”.

Fianna Fáil spokesman for children Charlie McConalogue called for a complete overhaul of the special care system following a string of negative reports about special care units (SCU).

Last October, HIQA’s damning report on Gleann Alainn highlighted several absconsions; lack of staff coping skills; and chaos within the unit.

A re-inspection last month, while noting some improvements, was again very critical of the service.

As well as highlighting a litany of failures, inspectors wrote: “While several external professionals told inspectors that they too could acknowledge some progress within the centre, their confidence in the service to be sustainable and improve was poor.”

Despite this, Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald welcomed the report saying that “overall, standards had improved” but she chose not to address real concerns raised about the future of the service.

Mr McConalogue pointed out that the latest report shows only two of the recommendations have been fully met, 11 have been only partially met and one has not met at all: “This latest report shows that the teenage girls who are being cared for in Gleann Alainn still feel unsafe. This is simply unacceptable... The children still feel under threat of bullying and assault from other residents, security at the unit is still compromised and a quarter of the staff are out on sick leave.

“There is still a direct threat to the safety of vulnerable young girls at this unit and it cannot be tolerated any longer. The Government’s response to date has been totally inadequate.

“I am repeating my appeal to the Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald to outline a comprehensive plan on overhauling special care units for children,” he said.

The director of Empowering Young People In Care (EPIC), Jennifer Gargan, called for a national policy for the provision of secure care to be developed, resourced and implemented: “It is unacceptable that despite numerous damning reports from HIQA in relation to Gleann Alainn that some standards continue to be unmet. Young people have been placed in secure care for their own safety and protection. Therefore, this is the first and most vital requirement of all secure care units.”

Elsewhere, psychiatric nurses are holding a lunch- time protest today at a Child and Adolescent Unit in Merlin Park, Galway.