External investigation into allegations of bullying, harassment, and abuse at mental health charity
Exclusive: Saint John of God Community Services, which is funded by the HSE, is set to spend €375,000 on the investigation
A charity that provides services to children and adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues is commissioning an external investigation into allegations of bullying, harassment, and other malpractice.
The investigation at Saint John of God Community Services will also cover complaints under the HSE’s Trust in Care policy, which relates to the dignity and welfare of patients, as well as allegations of abuse against staff members.
The charity, which is funded by the HSE, expects the external investigation to cost in the region of €375,000, according to tender documents seeking a contractor to conduct the probe.
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A list of policy documents that the organisation describes as relevant to the external investigation in the tender documents include codes of practice for bullying at work, a code of practice on harassment and sexual harassment, and procedures for managing allegations of abuse.
A HIQA inspection report last year found that residents at a Saint John of God centre for people with intellectual disabilities in Dublin had been subjected to physical assaults by other clients.
Residents at the Liffey 4 residential centre in Tallaght had been punched, kicked, and had their hair pulled, as well as having their bedroom doors kicked in, leaving them too frightened to leave their rooms.
Saint John of God Community Services is a Section 38 agency funded by the HSE, and provides services to more than 8,000 children, adolescents and adults with intellectual disability or mental health issues throughout Ireland.
The tender documents do not reveal the precise nature of the complaints or where the malpractice is alleged to have occurred. The term of the contract for the external investigators will be for three years with a possible extension of up to 24 months.
The external investigators will be required to afford “fair procedure and natural justice” to both complaints and respondents, and will issue a report based on the evidence examined.
They will decide whether each complaint is upheld or not upheld. They can also determine that there is “no case to answer” where a complaint is withdrawn or the complainant refuses to cooperate with the investigation.
The specifications permit the investigators to highlight any procedural flaws with the system, but state that “no other activities outside the scope of the protocol and terms of reference” should be undertaken without prior consent from the charity.
The closing date for tenders is October 14, and it is expected that a contract will be awarded for the external investigation by the end of the year.
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