The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published 20 inspection reports on designated centres 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 for people with disabilities in Ireland. 

Inspectors found a good level of compliance with the regulations and standards in 14 inspections, including in centres operated by St Catherine’s Association, St Christopher’s Services, St Hilda’s Services Limited, St John of God Community Services, St Michael’s House, St. Paul's Child and Family Care Centre Designated Activity Company, The Cheshire Foundation in Ireland and Western Care Association. In these centres, the provider was ensuring a good standard of support and care at the time of inspection. Non-compliance with the regulations and standards was identified on six inspections.

Inspections of four centres provided by St John of God Community Services found that two centres were ensuring a good-quality service was delivered to residents, in line with the regulations. However, oversight required improvement in two centres to ensure residents’ needs could be appropriately met within their own homes. 

Four reports relating to St Michael’s House have also been published today. While two centres were in compliance with the regulations and standards, non-compliance was found in two other centres. In these centres, the provider was not ensuring that the service delivered was safe and effectively managed, with non-compliances identified in areas such as medicines management and assessment of residents’ needs.

An inspection of a centre operated by Sunbeam House Services found poor governance, leadership and management arrangements which were impacting on the care and support provided to residents. Significant improvement was required to ensure residents' needs were appropriately met with regard to their assessed needs.

While two Western Care Association centres were found to be meeting residents’ needs in line with the standards and regulations, an inspection of another centre found that the provider did not have operational oversight of the standard of service being offered to residents. In this centre, inspectors found that risks were not being appropriately managed, the centre was poorly maintained, and residents’ healthcare needs were not being adequately assessed or managed.