Drug use and sex at care home for children

Tusla says it will address deficits in a residential children’s care home in which absences from care were rampant and inspectors voiced concerns over inappropriate sexual behaviour, phone access, and alcohol and drug use.

The inspection of the Ferryhouse children’s residential centre in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, uncovered serious concerns over how staff at the facility were addressing challenging behaviour among the children staying there; and found a significant risk had been identified under four headings, including ‘care of young people’.

The inspection report, published by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), looked at the centre, which provided residential care for up to 15 boys aged 12 to 16 and which, at the time of the unannounced inspections in August and September, had nine young people staying there.