HIQA highlights inadequate Garda vetting concerns at three Donegal residential centres

HIQA has found that three centres for people with disabilities in Donegal didn’t have evidence of Garda vetting for all staff.
The three centres in question are Drumboe respite centre in Stranorlar, Riverwalk House in Carndonagh and Cill Aoibhinn Group Home and Ballydevitt Group Home.
Staffing arrangements at Drumboe Respite Centre ensured that residents’ needs were met, although staff records did not contain all information required under Schedule 2 of the regulations.
The previous inspection found that not all documents required were present in staff personnel files such as full employment histories and copies of garda vetting disclosures.
The inspector examined staff records and found that although full employment histories were now in place, copies of staff members’ garda vetting disclosures were still not available in all staff files sampled.
This area of major non-compliance was also reflected in Riverwalk House in Carndonagh where the inspector reviewed staff files and found that staff records did not contain copies of garda vetting disclosures as required under regulations.
Meanwhile some improvements were still required at Cill Aoibhinn Group Home and Ballydevitt Group Home in the same area.
The inspector also reviewed a sample of staff files there, which identified gaps in the maintenance of appropriate garda vetting records.