Troubled teenager put in 'unsafe' unit

HEALTH AUTHORITIES have placed a troubled teenage boy in a special care unit in Limerick which staff have warned is “unsafe” until major repairs are carried out.

Two young people were recently moved out of Coovagh House, one of the State’s three special care units for troubled teens, to allow for repairs to make the facility fit for purpose.

Social services inspectors have previously raised concerns that a combination of poor physical conditions and staffing issues were undermining the ability of Coovagh House to provide safe care for vulnerable teens.

In advance of new repairs taking place, the Health Service Executive this week placed a teenage boy into the special care unit. He is due to be transferred to a unit in Scotland in a fortnight.

Children’s rights campaigners yesterday criticised the move and said vulnerable young people should not be admitted into sub-standard care facilities.

In a statement, the HSE said the move was a “temporary placement” in accordance with the child’s care plan. “Construction workers are due on site in Coovagh House in the coming weeks by which stage the child will have transferred. These essential works were approved last year and have been planned to take place now when admissions are at their lowest,” the statement said.

In particular, inspectors noted that the layout of the unit was not suited to the control and management of risk-taking behaviour by young people.

Following an inspection in October last year, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) raised concerns about the ability of staff to provide quality care in a safe environment.

It found that “communal areas were poorly lit, shabby and showing significant signs of wear and tear. In some cases this impacted directly on safety . . . In practice, many repairs were temporary and unsightly, for example pieces of wood were used to cover windows/panels and door frames.”

It added that: “Inspectors found that some maintenance requests were repeatedly referred to the relevant HSE maintenance department with no subsequent action.”

In follow-up inspections earlier this year, the quality agency was much more positive and said many staffing issues had been resolved. However, it said a key recommendation to undertake a health and safety audit – which incorporated the potential for self harm and personal safety of staff and children at the unit – had not been acted on.

When contacted about the latest placement in Coovagh House, the quality agency said this week it had been in touch with the HSE about the wider issue of special care. “Hiqa has contacted the HSE around the provision of designated placements for special care units and whether the current number of places is sufficient to meet ongoing demands and address the safety needs of the children affected,” the agency said.