Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published 32 inspection reports on designated centres for people with disabilities. 

Inspection reports have been published on centres operated by: Orchard Community Care Limited; Peamount Healthcare; Praxis Care; Resilience Healthcare Limited; Saint Patrick's Centre (Kilkenny)/trading as Aurora-Enriching Lives, Enriching Communities; St Catherine's Association CLG; St Christopher's Services CLG; St Gabriel's Foundation; St Hilda's Services; St John of God Community Services CLG; St Joseph's Foundation; St Michael's House; Stewarts Care DAC; Sunbeam House Services CLG; Talbot Care Unlimited Company; The Rehab Group; Waterford Intellectual Disability Association CLG: and Western Care Association.

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

• At a centre in Dublin operated by Stewarts Care DAC, residents were observed cooking, watching television and World Cup football matches, using smart devices, and chatting together and with staff. It was clear that residents were active participants in the life of their community. For example, one resident one resident accompanied the inspector to a nearby café and, along the way, pointed out various local services that they and other residents regularly used. Residents felt safe and said that they could speak with staff and management teams, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), if they had any concerns.
• Residents at a centre in Galway, operated by the Rehab Group, enjoyed engaging in various projects and hobbies, including repairing bicycles and jewellery making. Residents spoke about how they had a storage shed located in the garden which they used to store their tools and other equipment. They spoke about how they loved living in the area and felt a part of the local community.

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:

• Poor governance impacted upon residents’ living arrangements at a centre operated by St Joseph's Foundation. Ongoing safeguarding incidents undermined residents’ quality of life and their wellbeing within the centre. In response, the provider agreed to seek alternative accommodation for one resident which would better suit their needs. The provider remains subject to ongoing engagement with the Chief Inspector to address these concerns.
• At a centre operated by Peamount Healthcare, inconsistencies were identified between residents’ tenancy agreements and their contracts of care, which resulted in residents being charged costs that were not consistent with the terms of their agreements and had the potential to financially impact them. In addition, improvements were required in recording residents’ end-of-life care plans. In response, the provider reviewed all tenancy agreements to clarify residents’ fees and ensure residents’ end-of-life care plans are signed.

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.