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Call for better training and support for youth detention centre staff

An organisation working with young people in care has called for more training for staff at Obers...
Newstalk
Newstalk

11.54 23 Feb 2015


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Call for better training and s...

Call for better training and support for youth detention centre staff

Newstalk
Newstalk

11.54 23 Feb 2015


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An organisation working with young people in care has called for more training for staff at Oberstown Campus in Dublin.

It comes after a HIQA report found that children in the youth detention centre were not always safe.

The HIQA report also describes how a child was restrained with handcuffs by up to seven members of staff.

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Director of EPIC Jennifer Gargan, said more training is needed immediately for staff at the centre.

“These young people are very vulnerable,” Ms Gardan said.

“They are very challenging at times and the work is very challenging and it is therefore imperative that management put in place proper training for staff and proper supervision and support for them because otherwise staff can’t work in an environment that is this challenging,” she added.

Up to seven members of staff were involved in an incident in a children's care home in which a child was handcuffed to restrain them.

The incident is documented in a HIQA inspection report into Trinity House and Oberstown boys and girls detention centres all of which are located on the one premises.

The inspection report finds that the detention was 'all over the place' and a staff member was injured in the process. It also describes the outcome for the child as poor and says handcuffs should not be used on the campus.

The inspection also found that one child was locked into a room for 83 hours and 45 minutes, over a four day period.

Overall the report found that the centre complied with one of ten standards assessed, and required improvement in six areas. No standards were exceeded.

It identified significant risks in three areas - care of young people, health, and staffing and management.

HIQA says best practice was not always implemented in terms of managing behaviour and medication management.

The report also states that "there were significant deficits in delivering essential training and an immediate action plan was issued to the management of the detention campus following the inspection". The Authority is said to have been satisfied with the response to that plan.


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