Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published 33 inspection reports on designated centres for people with disabilities. 

Inspection reports have been published on centres operated by: Avista CLG; Ability West; An Breacadh Nua; Camphill Communities of Ireland; ChildVision CLG; Communicare Agency Ltd; Corlann; Health Service Executive (HSE); MyLife by Estrela Hall Limited; Nua Healthcare Services Limited; and St Aidans Services.

Today’s publication includes five reports which are part of HIQA’s programme of thematic inspections of adult safeguarding in designated centres for people with disabilities. The programme focuses on assessing the safeguarding measures that are in place in designated centres for people with disabilities and aims to promote quality improvement across services.

Inspectors found good practice in many of the centres inspected, including:

• At a HSE-operated centre in Longford, residents were supported to engage in a range of activities due to the support of the numbers of staff on duty. Activities enjoyed by residents included mindfulness, live music therapy and reflexology. Residents also accessed activities in the community such as bowling, walking, shopping, going to mass and the cinema. During the inspection, residents were observed to be relaxing in the sitting room with the doors open into the garden.
• Residents were complimentary of the service provided at a centre in Meath operated by MyLife by Estrela Hall Limited. Residents spoke about their strong family links and how visitors were welcomed regularly to the centre. Residents’ interests were being explored and goals developed at the centre. For example, one resident had an interest in cycling and shared their wish to travel on the greenway in the summer. On further discussion with staff, incremental steps and goals were being developed to support the resident with this interest.

Some centres were required to make improvements to enable the best possible outcomes for residents. Providers of these centres submitted compliance plans outlining the changes they will make following the inspection. These included:

• An immediate action was issued to Nua Healthcare Services Limited to ensure all staff were aware of active safeguarding strategies to protect residents from harm. In response, the provider agreed to ensure that all staff were briefed on safeguarding arrangements during staff handovers each day.
• Improvements were required in different areas across six centres operated by Corlann. In one centre, an urgent action was issued to review all fire safety evacuation plans for residents. In response, the provider gave assurances that alternative means for evacuation would be followed. In another centre, the inspector issued an immediate action to the provider to ensure smoke detectors were free from obstruction, which was addressed by the provider.
• Areas for improvement were identified at four centres operated by Avista CLG. In one centre, staffing levels were inadequate and as a result, residents’ care plans and routines were frequently organised subject to staffing availability rather than residents’ needs. In another centre, adaptations were required to the premises to fully meet residents’ needs. The provider submitted compliance plans to address areas of concern.
   

Editor’s notes:

• 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.