The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published a report on a children’s residential centre operated by the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) in the Dublin North East region. 

This was an unannounced risk-based inspection that took place over a number of days in August and September 2026.  The centre is a teenage parent support centre, providing care for young people under the age of 18 who have had or are due to have a baby.

The young people who spoke with inspectors had mixed experiences of the service and the support they received. Staffing challenges were a key feature of young people’s experience, and they reported inconsistent care and support from a team with varying levels of skills and expertise. The staff and management engaged in practices that promoted the life, health, safety and welfare the young people. Young people’s rights relating to religion, food preferences and involvement in decision about their care were respected and promoted. However, improvements were required to ensure that young people’s needs relating to the promotion of their culture and identity were fully understood by all staff.

HIQA found that aspects of the leadership, governance and management arrangements required improvement, such as risk management, oversight and monitoring of the service. The communication systems in the service for both staff and the young people living there required strengthening, while the oversight, management and recording of complaints also required improvement and a culture of openness and learning from complaints needed to be fostered within the team.

The registered provider did not have adequate number of skilled and experienced staff. Staffing challenges had resulted in the young people experiencing inconsistent and, at times, poor quality of care and support. 

The service operated in line with the requirements of Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017). The centre management and the social workers allocated to the young people worked together effectively to monitor the safety of the young people. There was a positive approach to the management of behaviour that challenged. However, improvements were need in quality assurance of records before they are submitted to the social work department. 

Following the inspection, management submitted a satisfactory compliance plan to HIQA, which outlined plans to address the issues identified during the inspection.

Note:

• HIQA is authorised by the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality under Section 69 of the Child Care Act, 1991 as amended by Section 26 of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011, to inspect children’s residential care services provided by the Child and Family Agency (Tusla). HIQA monitors Tusla’s performance against the National Standards for Children’s Residential Centres and advises the Minister and Tusla.