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Staff sanctioned at Áras Attracta care home

A member of staff at Áras Attracta has been placed off duty with pay
A member of staff at Áras Attracta has been placed off duty with pay

The Health Service Executive has said poor care practices at Áras Attracta in Co Mayo have led to one staff member being taken off duty.

A second worker, employed by an agency, has been let go.

In a statement, the HSE said the decision was taken following separate incidents which were raised internally. 

It says the move is not connected to a recent HIQA inspection of the facility in Swinford.

The HSE says the staff member has been placed off duty with pay, while the complaint against them is investigated.

It says the issues came to light as a result of safeguarding measures that have been put in place to protect vulnerable adults being cared for at Áras Attracta.

The HSE said it is pleased that a culture of reporting concerns is now seen as best practice and that its response shows "strengthened governance arrangements" are working.

The latest suspension is not connected with last year's investigation into care standards at the centre.

Six people have been charged with assault as a result of a lengthy garda investigation that followed a report by the RTÉ Investigations Unit last December.

The HSE says Aras Attracta continues to undergo significant change. It says that there are still "intermittent challenges" that give rise to some concern.