A social worker who made protected disclosures of alleged abuse of a woman with intellectual disabilities in a care placement has launched a High Court action aimed at preventing her dismissal. Claire Looney wants orders preventing her dismissal from her role as head of clinical services with an association working with people with intellectual disabilities in the south east. The proceedings are against her employer, Waterford Intellectual Disabilities Association (WIDA), funded by the HSE. The court heard Ms Looney, following a two-year suspension, was dismissed late last month by her employer as a result of what her lawyers claimed was an “extremely flawed” process. Ms Looney says she was accused of making a complaint about WIDA to Hiqa (Health Inspection and Quality Authority) which resulted in an inspection of her employer.

Source: The Irish Times December 21, 2020 19:51 UTC