Report into care home for vulnerable children deeply disturbing, Health Minister Robin Swann says

By David Young, PA

The findings of an inspection report into the care offered to vulnerable children at a facility in Northern Ireland are “deeply disturbing”, the health minister has said.

The care home in the South Eastern Trust region was operated by mental health charity Praxis Care.

Following a critical inspection by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in January, the trust has now stepped in and taken over the running of the facility.

The care home has not been named to protect the identity of the small number of children who live there.

In its inspection, the RQIA identified that “insufficient skilled and competent staff were in place to meet the complex needs of the children in their care, to promote their rights and safely respond to their needs”.

Inspectors also said inadequate record-keeping and significant shortcomings in staff induction at the facility were placing both the children and staff at risk.

Praxis Care subsequently informed the trust it could no longer maintain services at the facility and the RQIA then applied to a justice of the peace for an order to cancel the charity’s registration at the home.

Health Minister Robin Swann responded to an urgent oral question on the issue tabled by the SDLP’s Colin McGrath on Tuesday.

“The inspection findings are clearly very disturbing and found staffing deficits which in their assessment compromised the provision of quality care for children with complex needs,” he said.

Mr Swann said RQIA and the trust had been “proactive” in addressing the concerns once they had been identified.

“The trust has now taken full leadership, management and oversight responsibilities in the children’s service and will continue to work with the RQIA to ensure that safe and quality care is delivered,” he added.

Commenting on the developments, Mr McGrath said: “It is essential that our care homes are places of best practice.

“That must mean that staff shortages are addressed before they impact on patient care, that sufficient training is provided to teams to ensure they’re aware of their responsibilities and it may mean that RQIA step up their level of review of each centre.

“We have a responsibility to every child and to the staff in our care homes who work so hard in challenging circumstances to provide the best possible care.”

In a statement, Praxis Care said: “Praxis Care is saddened to confirm that following extensive engagement with both the South Eastern Trust and RQIA, regarding the difficulties in recruitment and retention of staff in one of our children’s services, we very reluctantly concluded that we could no longer maintain the service and notified the trust to that effect.

“The following day RQIA indicated their intention to formally cancel the registration.

“We are now working in partnership with the South Eastern Trust to ensure there is an appropriate and well-managed transition for the children and our staff who have worked tirelessly in very difficult circumstances.

“Recruitment into social care has been very challenging, despite Praxis Care’s exemplary employee benefits package, recently welcomed by the GMB, has been so challenging as to require this facility to be closed after many years of providing vital support for children and their families.”