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 inspections, inspectors found a good level of compliance with the regulations and standards in 19 centres, including in centres operated by Dundas Ltd; Enable Ireland Disability Services; Health Service Executive (HSE); KARE, Promoting Inclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities; North West Parents and Friends Association for Persons with Intellectual Disability; and Nua Healthcare Services. At the time of inspection, the provider was ensuring a good standard of support and care that met residents’ needs in these 19 centres.

Examples of good practice observed by inspectors included:

• in a centre operated by KARE, residents were assisted and supported to develop the knowledge, self-awareness, understanding and skills needed for self-care and protection. For example, residents were educated in relation to staying safe while accessing social media, and had helped self-identify measures to be put in to ensure their safety.
• while the games room was undergoing maintenance in an Enable Ireland centre, the person in charge had changed a very large bedroom into an recreational space with games, arts and crafts equipment, a TV, games console and a storage unit for play equipment for children to use. This was a practical solution to ensure children’s respite breaks were still enjoyable and fun while the property was undergoing necessary maintenance works.
• residents in a North West Parents and Friends Association centre at the time of inspection did not communicate verbally but used gestures, facial expressions and objects of reference to communicate. Each resident had a communication support plan in place which set out their individual communication styles. Residents were supported to make choices through use of objects of reference, spoken word and pictures.

Inspectors identified non-compliance with the regulations and standards on six inspections.

An inspection of a Delta Centre found that improvements were required to fire safety, meeting resident’s health needs and positive behavioural support in the centre.

Inspectors identified areas of non-compliance with the regulations in four HSE centres. All four centres were failing to provide a safe and suitable premises that met residents’ needs. For example, in one centre the design and layout did not meet the assessed needs of a resident with mobility needs. All four centres were required to strengthen governance and management arrangements to ensure the services delivered to residents were safe and of good quality.

An inspection of a centre operated by Nua Healthcare found that the premises met the needs of residents and each resident had their own personalised and homely individual living areas. However, while the inspector found that the provider had introduced improved safeguarding procedures, the provider was required to ensure that all allegations of a safeguarding nature were notified to HIQA as appropriate. 

Read all reports at www.hiqa.ie.