Last year, almost 200 complaints or concerns were expressed to the Confidential Recipient, who acts as an independent voice for certain vulnerable groups who are receiving HSE funded or part-funded services.

The Confidential Recipient, Leigh Gath, acts as a voice for vulnerable people with disabilities, people with mental health problems and older people who are receiving HSE services.

She has just released the 2017 Annual Report of her office, which shows that last year, 196 concerns were received, 54 meetings with families/advocates were held, 46 meetings with HSE managers were held and five meetings with Government ministers were held.

She noted that when concerns or complaints are brought to the attention of the HSE, ‘there is a concerted effort to address the issues raised and for the most part, take action'.

"There are however cases where delays are incurred due to the nature and complexity of individual needs or service provision," she noted.

Of the 196 concerns/complaints received, 169 related to social care services, 22 to mental health services and five to other services, such as primary care and acute care.

An estimated 500 informal calls were also received during the year, with many people talking about concerns they had, but not wanting those concerns passed on for various reasons.

The types of concerns raised included staff behaviour, the number of staff available to support clients, financial charges and access to equipment.

An analysis of these concerns revealed three main recurring trends:
-Funding: A lack of funding has led to people being placed in inappropriate services, such as nursing homes, sometimes for long periods. Others are not receiving adequate services or any services because of funding issues

-Respite: During 2017, there was a large number of families, mainly caring for people with significant intellectual disabilities, who received little or no respite. This places major stress on families, with carers getting little rest

-Communication: Many times, people have contacted their local HSE office or service over a relatively small issue, but have received no response. As a result, some people do not trust their local services because they feel they are not being listened to.

The report noted that the number of staff reporting concerns has increased considerably. In many circumstances, staff did not feel they could have their identities revealed for fear of reprisal from their employers or other staff.

According to the report, while these fears may or may not be real, ‘the culture is still there, with some people feeling fearful of brining concerns up with their line of management, or else having brought their concerns to management, feeling they had not been listened to and were concerned about those they cared for'.

"A number of staff who contacted my office anonymously had initially used their own service protocols for reporting abuse. However, these staff members felt that they were either ignored or targeted for redeployment from their workplace or, had other apparent measures taken to discredit them.

"They then contacted my office hoping that an independent person could ensure the safety of the residents/service users while protecting their jobs as well," Ms Gath explained.

She pointed out that her role is not just to ensure complaints are followed through, but also to offer advice and support to vulnerable people who have concerns.

"I believe keeping vulnerable adults with disabilities or older people safe is everyone's responsibility. It is good to see more people coming forward and I welcome contact from anyone who thinks I can help," she added.

Anyone who wishes to make contact with Leigh Gath can do so by calling her office directly on 1890 100 014, by emailing leigh.gath@crhealth.ie or by posting a letter to Leigh Gath, Confidential Recipient, Vocational Training Centre, Dooradoyle, Co. Limerick.

An appointment to meet with Ms Gath can also be arranged by calling the above number.