No sexual predator has ever worked with us, says CWCW
THE COUNTY WEXFORD Community Workshop (Enniscorthy) has denied that it has ever had a ‘sexual predator’ in its service.
The CWCW was responding to a weekend newspaper report which detailed a whistleblower’s concerns over alleged sexual assault and financial irregularities at the organisation which caters to the needs of its disabled clients.
The workshop said it had been fully exonerated by the HSE and ‘ and we are very disappointed with the article printed at the weekend’.
‘CWCW (Enniscorthy) have also received confirmation from the HSE that there is no garda investigation taking place,’ said a statement sent to this newspaper by the workshop.
According to the Irish Mail on Sunday, the allegations, which are understood to be historical in nature, first raised by Bunclody woman Carmel Mulpeter a number of years ago. More recently, the report says Mrs Mulpeter reported her concerns to Pobal at the beginning of the year.
Mrs Mulpeter originally worked as a volunteer at CWCWE in 2009 and later became an employee through a Pobal-funded scheme.
Her first assignment was at the charity’s Kilcannon Garden Centre where she encountered issues she subsequently raised, some about the culture and conditions of the charity.
The Irish Mail on Sunday also reports that she became aware of more serious concerns, including allegations of sexual abuse at CWCWE by another service user.
In 2010, she made her concerns known to management and an independent firm, Monalee Training and Consultancy, carried out an investigation.
On January 13, 2017, Pobal’s audit and verification manager Kevin Cooke wrote to Mrs Mulpeter saying that Pobal notes that the her complaint contains a number of issues ‘ that appear to be of a very serious nature and indicates matters that are required to be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities’.
In 2015, CWCWE told this newspaper there had never been any adverse finding of neglect or abuse of any service user of the organisation.
It said CWCW implemented all the recommendations in the Monalee Report.
‘CWCW has been reviewed since by the HSE and feedback to date has been positive and there are no ongoing issues at CWCW which are a cause of any concern. CWCW has a healthy and ongoing respect for all its service users and all necessary regulatory matters and there has never been any adverse finding of neglect or abuse of any service user at CWCW.’
The HSE said yesterday that order to address concerns raised locally as to whether allegations around the mistreatment, neglect or abuse of services users by staff or other service users was adequately identified, risk assessed and managed by CWCW, the HSE commissioned a third review which was completed by a specialist review team.
‘In respect of any known or identifiable reports or concerns of historical or current abuse/neglect of any service users, the review team found no identifiable or current concerns.
‘ The review team did recommend that HSE determine whether a further case conference would be appropriate. In line with this recommendation, a multi-professional case conference pertaining to the relevant individual was scheduled in September 2015 to further assess the case as appropriate and review the matter in line with the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy.
‘ The HSE continues to work closely with CWCW to ensure that the highest standards are followed in respect of all aspects of services at their facilities in Co. Wexford. The HSE is currently satisfied that CWCW is fully implementing the Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at risk of abuse: National Policy and Procedures (2015),’ said the HSE.