Nursing homes must ensure that all their staff and volunteers have undergone Garda Síochána (police) vetting and that staff have received training in protecting vulnerable people from abuse.
The enactment of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 in April 2016 has provided additional legislation which strengthened the provisions around vetting.
Susan Cliffe, our Deputy Chief Inspector of Social Services, commented: “Since 29 April 2016, it has been an offence to employ somebody to care for vulnerable people, or to start such a job after the Vetting Act was enacted, without a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau of An Garda Síochána.”
In addition, nursing homes must also ensure that staff receive training in protecting vulnerable people from abuse, and they must also take precautionary measures to ensure that residents’ finances are protected and managed appropriately where necessary.