Inspections

We inspect children’s residential centres, special care units run by the Health Service Executive (HSE) as well as children's detention schools and foster care services run by the HSE and private organisations.

What happens on an inspection?

Inspectors visit to ensure that ensure that children’s residential centres are complying with standards and with the relevant legislation. They check to see that there are systems in place to safeguard the welfare of children and children are being cared for properly. For more information on the types of inspections, see below.

What happens next?

Following each inspection, inspectors issue a report containing their findings together with recommendations as to how best practice in the centres can be achieved. The report recommendations are then sent to the Health Service Executive for implementation.

SSI inspectors follow up on inspection recommendations either by reviewing documentation, holding interviews and/or arranging site visits to judge whether or not inspection recommendations have been implemented. The findings of follow-up inspections are published alongside the original inspection reports.

The inspection process

Inspections can be announced or unannounced. 

Announced inspections

Pre-inspection process

Notice of Inspection: 6 weeks

A letter is issued to Health Service Executive (HSE) providing notice of inspection of the named children's residential centre. The monitoring officer is also notified of the inspection. A letter is sent and a phone call is made to residential centre manager announcing the inspection and requesting documentation.

Documentation required before the inspection takes place includes:

• A summary information sheet to be returned within two weeks.
• Statement of purpose and function.
• All policies and procedures that inform practice in the centre.
• Census form for each young person.
• Census data for each staff member.
• Details of any complaints made over the previous year including findings of investigations and recommendations.
• Details of the use of physical restraint over the previous year.
• Details of unauthorised absences from the centre over the previous year.
• Report of most recent health and safety audit, fire certificate, health and safety statement, and evidence of insurance.
• Copy of details recorded in central register maintained by the Health Service Executive.

Unless otherwise stated, all documentation must be returned within three weeks

Notification to young people, parents, HSE staff and other professionals –

Letters are sent to:

• each young person (including young people's booklet)
• parents or guardians, including questionnaire and parent's booklet
• child care manager and/or centre line manager
• general manager or manager to whom the line manager reports
• social workers, along with questionnaire
• school principals, along with questionnaire
• general practitioners and other relevant professionals associated with the centre

Pre-Inspection introductory meeting with staff and young people -

• to explain the role of the Authority and Social Services Inspectorate
• to outline the inspection process
• to discuss the standards against which the centre will be inspected
• to make practical arrangements for the inspection.

Please note: pre-inspection visits may not take place for centres that are inspected annually or for centres that have already been inspected. Where a number of centres are part of a cluster inspection, the SSI may not be able to facilitate a pre-inspection visit to each individual centre.

Inspection process

The inspection takes place over three days and includes:

• Observation of the care of the young people and day and evening routines, sharing meals with young people and staff, and observing shift hand-overs and team meetings.
• Interviews with young people, parents, centre staff, social workers, HSE managers and other professionals.
• Review of documentation including case files, care plans, care plan reviews, administrative records.
• Inspection of premises and facilities.
• Providing general feedback on the inspection findings to the centre manager on the final day.

Post inspection

A draft report is sent to the centre manager to check for factual accuracy. When completed, the final report is sent to: Local Health Manager and copied to -

• Centre Manager
• Line Manager
• Child Care Manager and Monitoring Officer
• Chief Executive Officer
• Department of Health and Children.

The final reports are published here.

Follow up

An action plan outlining the HSE's response to each of the recommendations contained in the inspection report, and a timescale for action is sought from the Local Health Manager. This must be returned within three weeks of receipt of the final report.

The completed action plan is reviewed by inspectors to assess if it adequately addresses the recommendations.

Three months after the publication of the final report, the lead inspector follows up on the HSE's progress in implementing the report's recommendations. This may be done by re-visiting the centre, interviewing staff and/or reviewing documentation. The findings are published here alongside the original inspection report.

Unannounced inspections

The Social Services Inspectorate can carry out an unannounced inspection at any time. Unannounced inspections take place for the purpose of -

• Undertaking a standard inspection of a centre that has been chosen at random by the Authority.
• As a result of concerns about practices in a particular centre that have been brought to the attention of the Authority.
• Undertaking a thematic inspection to assess practice in relation to specific standards. Such an inspection could focus on themes such as children's rights, child protection procedures or care planning.