Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published 28 inspection reports on designated centres for people with disabilities. 

Inspection reports have been published on centres operated by: Ability West; Avista CLG; Camphill Communities of Ireland; Carriglea Cáirde Services; Cheeverstown House CLG; Communicare Agency Ltd; Corlann; Muiríosa Foundation; and Health Service Executive (HSE).

Today’s publication includes two 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 centre in Limerick operated by Avista CLG, residents were supported to attend events and activities. During the inspection, two residents were supported to go to a seaside town. Staff noted that one resident had been to the Aviva Stadium to watch a match, while another resident had recently attended a music concert. A resident with a diagnosis of dementia was being supported to attend music events and a café specifically for people with dementia.
• Staff supported residents’ communication needs including using pictures, gestures and repetition, at a centre in Dublin operated by Cheeverstown House CLG.  Pictured labels on kitchen presses and bathroom doors supported residents to independently and access cutlery, cups and snacks. Inspectors saw staff, residents and visitors chat and laugh together, as well as prepare meals together. The inspector observed a warm and caring relationship between staff and residents.
   

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 at a centre operated by the HSE. An immediate action was issued to the provider to ensure that unauthorised persons could not access the residents’ home. In addition, residents had limited opportunities for recreation and activities, and staffing arrangements were inadequate to meet residents’ needs. In response, the provider agreed to review access to the centre to safeguard residents, improve residents’ activities and recruit more staff to meet residents’ needs. 
• Improvements were required in different areas at seven centres operated by Corlann. In one centre, the provider was operating in breach of a condition of their registration and had failed to implement a previous compliance plan. Improvements were still required in fire safety measures, managing risks and reducing safeguarding incidents between residents. In response, the provider agreed to enhance their oversight of the centre, commit to relocating the centre to a new premises and ensure staff receive appropriate training.

• At a centre operated by Camphill Communities of Ireland, staffing vacancies undermined the consistency of care and support available to residents. In addition, improvements across the service in governance, resourcing and staff supervision had not been completed on schedule. In response, the provider had initiated new recruitment for staffing and appointed new local management to progress outstanding actions.

   

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.