87 instances of restraint or intervention used at children's residential centre

The Hiqa report records that family members of children in the residential centre praised staff, but said they were worried about children’s safety and wellbeing given tensions and conflict among residents. 

There were 87 instances of some form of restraint or intervention being used to deal with children at a residential centre over a nine-month period, with inspectors saying the measures were "proportionate to the complex behaviours of specific children".

The centre, which was not named in an inspection report issued by Hiqa, had four children living there last November, with the health watchdog outlining how the residents, their families and social workers and legal representatives had all voiced concerns at the "escalating" situation.

The centre is run by Tusla and located in the south, and Hiqa said workforce absences and turnover across all grades had directly impacted its capacity to consistently deliver the required standards of child-centred, safe and effective care and support. The report stated: 

"There had been a marked increase in the frequency, risk levels and nature of significant event notifications (SENs) for some children living in the centre in recent months. 

"Risks in transporting children and accessing community facilities required higher levels of staffing to contain the situation. 

"Strategies for re-directing, defusing and reducing incidents did not have a lasting impact. On one recent occasion, assistance from An Garda Síochána had been sought."

Hiqa spoke to three of the children and they were seen to have a warm and positive relationship with staff.

However, "they said they felt that things were getting worse, not better at the time of inspection. 

One child said, ‘I have been talking to everyone about this, but nothing has changed’.

Family members also praised staff, but said they were worried about children’s safety and wellbeing given the ongoing tensions and conflict between residents. 

Social workers and guardians ad litem also raised a number of concerns "in what had become a volatile and stressful living environment".

There had been 25 instances of physical restraint, 42 instances of physical intervention, and 20 of environmental restraint in the last nine months and the report said "inspectors found that this was proportionate to the complex behaviours of specific children".

A compliance plan was issued.