The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published 22 reports on residential services 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 and respite services in Ireland.

Inspections in 19 centres found a good level of compliance with the requirements of the regulations and standards. These included centres operated by the following providers: Muiriosa Foundation, Stewarts Care Limited, Camphill Communities of Ireland, COPE Foundation, Daughters of Charity, Enable Ireland Disability Service and L’Arche Ireland.

In a centre operated by Stepping Stones Residential Care Limited, however, inspectors found that the use of negative controls was prevalent, involving the removal of personal items, restriction of food items and fining of residents. The inspectors issued an immediate action in relation to these practices and required that they were discontinued immediately. Furthermore, there was a significant level and frequency of aggressive behaviour in the centre that required residents to be moved from their living areas in order to protect them from injury.

Four reports published today refer to centres operated by the Health Service Executive (HSE). A good level of compliance was found in three of these centres. In the fourth centre, while a number of actions were required to ensure compliance with the regulations, the inspector found that this centre was well managed and the HSE were providing a good quality service to the residents living in the centre.  

Reports on two centres operated by Sunbeam House were also published. One of these centres was found to provide a service that, in general, met residents’ needs. However, there was a lack of effective governance and management systems within the other centre operated by this provider.