Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published 25 inspection reports on designated centres for people with disabilities. HIQA inspects against the Health Act 2007 (Care and Support of Residents in Designated Centres for Persons (Children and Adults) with Disabilities) Regulations 2013 and the National Standards for Residential Services for Children and Adults with Disabilities, which apply to residential services for people with disabilities in Ireland. 

Of these 25 reports, inspectors found a good level of compliance with the regulations and standards during 22 inspections. Providers of three centres were required to make improvements.

Inspections of an L’Arche Ireland centre and a MooreHaven Centre (Tipperary) centre found that staff were providing residents with a good quality of service which was supported by clear governance structures and effective monitoring of the services by the providers.

Inspections in nine Nua Healthcare centres found that residents were supported to have meaningful and active lives within the centre and their community. In these centres, residents’ health, emotional and social care needs were being supported and provided for.

Inspectors found that a centre operated by the Peter Bradley Foundation was well managed and the provider was striving to ensure residents received a safe and good quality service. 

Significant progress had been made to improve the quality and safety of a Praxis Care centre, while residents in a RehabCare centre were found to be receiving a safe, quality service that was appropriate to their individual needs and preferences.

Inspectors found that a Saint Patrick’s Centre (Kilkenny) centre was providing person-centred care in a respectful and dignified manner. Similarly, good quality and safe care, in compliance with the regulations, was found on inspection in two St Christopher’s Services centres and in one St Catherine’s Association centre. 

Five reports on centres operated by Muiríosa Foundation have also been published. In all five centres, residents were being supported in a person-centred manner in keeping with their assessed needs and wishes. For example, in one centre, inspectors met a resident who was being supported to improve their cooking skills and, in the process, had created their own healthy eating cookbook. However, improvements to staffing arrangements were required in one centre. 

An inspection of a centre operated by S O S Kilkenny found that the centre had been operating without a person in charge for 12 weeks. In addition, HIQA had not been notified of this as required by regulations.

An inspection of a centre provided by KARE found that the fire precautions systems in the centre required improvement and gaps in documentation was negatively impacting the ability of the provider to ensure consistency in the quality of service delivered.

All reports and compliance plans are available on www.hiqa.ie.