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	Nine staff placed &lsquo;off-duty&rsquo; at &Aacute;ras Attracta facility for adults with intellectual disabilities</p>
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	Allegations of serious mistreatment of residents at a Co Mayo centre for adults with intellectual disabilities have prompted the Health Service Executive to order an independently led investigation.</p>
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	The HSE, which runs the unit, has also notified the Garda about the allegations, which have resulted in nine staff at &Aacute;ras Attracta residential facility being placed &ldquo;off-duty&rdquo;. The investigation will examine serious allegations of slapping and force-feeding of patients, HSE national director for social care Pat Healy told The Irish Times.</p>
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	&ldquo;Actions such as this, should they be prove to be founded, are wholly unacceptable in any facility that provides care to vulnerable people,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Consequently, these allegations will be investigated promptly and thoroughly in order to establish the full facts, having due regard to the principles of fairness and natural justice&rdquo;.</p>
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	An HSE spokesman added: &ldquo;The matter is being treated extremely seriously by the HSE at both local and national level. A number of immediate and objective actions have already taken place at the &Aacute;ras Attracta facility. Other actions are already under way.&rdquo;</p>
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	Safeguards prioritised<br />
	The spokesman said the most immediate priority was to guarantee a safe and caring environment for the residents of the centre. Measures had been put in place in line with new national policies for safeguarding vulnerable people at risk of abuse.</p>
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	&ldquo;In this regard, and in line with HSE procedures, staff against whom allegations have been made have been put &lsquo;off-duty&rsquo;&rsquo; he said. &ldquo;This action is a protective measure, both for the residents and the staff concerned, and is done without prejudice to the staff members until the results of the investigation are known.&rdquo;<br />
	Action had been taken to maintain staffing levels, he said. The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), which has responsibility for monitoring standards at centres such as &Aacute;ras Attracta, has also been notified.</p>
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	The centre accommodates almost 100 people with intellectual disabilities. Last July, it emerged that garda&iacute; were investigating the sudden death of a patient at the facility in 2012. This followed a Hiqa report which found non-compliance with care standards and said some patients went 15 hours without being fed. During an inspection in February, inspectors described the treatment of residents as distressing.</p>
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	<a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/inquiry-ordered-into-slapping-force-feeding-allegations-at-mayo-centre-1.2020794">https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/inquiry-ordered-into-slapping-force-feeding-allegations-at-mayo-centre-1.2020794</a></p>
