Inspection reports find eight high-risk ratings in three mental health centres
The Mental Health Commission (MHC) published three inspection reports on Thursday 10th July 2019, following risk rating of two centres in Dublin, and one in Cork. The report identified eight areas of high risk non-compliance in staff training across all three approved mental health centres.
The centres in question are;
The Sycamore unit at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 which is registered to provide a service for Psychiatry of Later Life with a bed capacity of 25, comprised of five dormitories and one single bedroom.
O’Casey Rooms, Fairview Community Unit is a 25-bed unit on the first floor of a community nursing unit owned by the Sisters of Charity at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Fairview in Dublin. Most of the residents had been in residential mental health services for many years and as they age, their care and treatment requirements are now significantly focused on physical, palliative and end of life care.
Eist Linn, located in Blackrock, Cork which has 18 operational beds, with 15 residents present. Eist Linn is one of the four national Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in-patient facilities in Ireland and serves a population of 1.2 million people.
All three approved centres have a range of quality best practice initiatives which are highlighted in the inspection reports, however all three approved centres also have high risk non-compliant ratings with staffing. This relates in the main to staff training and, in particular, to training in the Mental Health Act 2001. The Commission has developed a comprehensive e-learning programme in the Mental Health Act 2001 for all staff of approved centres. This programme is easily accessible on our website, and can be completed in stages.
Mr. John Farrelly, Chief Executive Mental Health Commission, said: “While the Mental Health Commission rightly condemns bad practices in its inspections and areas of high risk non-compliance, it also highlights areas of good practice. In each inspection report, the Commission publishes best practices, positive initiatives and highlights innovations undertaken by services. If services want to understand how they can improve and implement best practices, they can refer to our inspection reports, which details plenty of good examples of best practices from around the country.”
Our full statement can be read here.
