Nine children admitted to psychiatric unit for adults

The admission of nine children to an adult psychiatric unit in Kilkenny in breach of regulation has been criticised by the Mental Health Commission (MHC).

When MHC inspectors visited the department of psychiatry at St Luke’s Hospital in November 2015, they found nine children had been admitted since a previous inspection in March 2014. They were in the care of staff who did not appear to have any training in Children First, the national guidance for safeguarding children.

However, the inspectors were informed the children had been looked after in single rooms with a nurse allocated solely for their care. All staff in the approved centre had been Garda vetted. None of the children was in the unit for more than nine days.