Your entitlements

This section sets out some of the rights of children, older people and people with disabilities in residential centres, as outlined in our standards.

Children in care (residential care and foster care)

All young people have rights as human beings and as children, as set out by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Young people living in care also have particular rights in relation to the way they are being looked after. If you live in a children’s residential care centre or foster care:

• You should be consulted when decisions are being made about your life.
• You have the right to complain. If you have concerns about anything to do with your care, you have the right to say so, and the staff of the residential centre should listen to you. If you want to make a complaint, they should explain to you how to do this, and help you with it.
• You have the right to see what information is being kept on file about you (with some exceptions).

In addition to these rights, you have the right to:

• preserve your identity
• express your views freely and to have them accorded due weight
• have privacy
• be protected from abuse.

For more information, please see the Draft National Quality Standards for Residential and Foster Care Services for Children and Young People, and our section on the inspection process.

Older people in residential settings

The National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland set out a number of rights that older people living in residential care settings can expect. If you live in a residential care setting for older people, you can expect to have the following rights:

• You have easily accessible information, written in a language and format appropriate to your needs, to assist you in decision making.
• You are encouraged to express your views on any aspect of the residential care setting and you are consulted on, and can participate in, the organisation of the care setting
• your consent to treatment and care is sought.
• Your privacy and dignity is respected.
• You are helped to exercise your civil, political and religious rights, in accordance with your own wishes.
• Any complaint that you, your family, friends or representatives may have is listened to and acted upon and there is an effective appeals procedure in the event of a disagreement about whether your complaint has been resolved.
• You receive a written contract from the provider of the residential care service that sets out what will be provided to you and includes fees and any additional costs.

For more information, please see the National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland, and our section on the inspection process.

People with disabilities in residential settings

The National Quality Standards: Residential Services for People with Disabilities set out a number of rights that people with disabilities living in residential care settings can expect. If you live in a residential care setting for people with disabilities, you can expect to have the following rights:

• You should get information in a way that suits your needs to help you make decisions.
• The staff and service should respect your right to make your own decisions.
• You should be able to exercise your rights as a citizen, for example voting in an election.
• The service should make the decision to offer you a place fairly. You and the service should agree in writing about the type of service you get.
• You should be able to make complaints with confidence that they will be taken seriously and dealt with properly. Making a complaint should not damage your care or how you are treated.

For more information, please see the National Quality Standards: Residential Settings for People with Disabilities.