Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published 20 inspection reports on designated centres for people with disabilities. Inspection reports have been published on centres operated by: Corlann; GALRO Unlimited Company; Health Service Executive (HSE); Horizons; Kerry Parents and Friends Association; St John of God Community Services CLG; and Sunbeam House Services CLG.

Today’s publication includes eight 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 Laois operated by GALRO Unlimited Company, residents spoke of how they continued to enjoy a range of activities in the local community. Some residents explained how they had enjoyed attending the local St. Patrick’s Day parade recently and had a few pints of beer. Some residents regularly attended the local gym, sauna and swimming pool, with one resident starting a part-time job in the local gym. Other residents regularly went to the cinema, went shopping, attended GAA matches and played tennis and golf
• A musician attended a HSE-operated centre in Westmeath during the inspection to sing and play guitar for the residents. Staff supported residents to use a handheld percussion instrument to engage with the performance and the rhythm of the music. The musician attended the centre weekly, and it was evident that the residents enjoyed the performance and could be heard interacting with the music. One resident preferred not to engage in the music and they were supported to engage in another hobby. A resident who was identified as an avid knitter was observed at various times of the day to be happily knitting.
   

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:
 

• Residents were living in a restrictive environment which did not support their rights, at a centre operated by Sunbeam House Services CLG. The provider did not have effective arrangements in place to safeguard residents from incidents. In response to the high levels of non-compliance found on inspection, the Chief Inspector of Social Services invited the provider to attend an escalation meeting to discuss their plans to improve the service for residents. 
• Four inspections of HSE-operated centres identified that improvements were required. In one centre, residents’ choices were limited and their routines were institutional in nature as they relied on staff availability to undertake activities. At another centre, discrepancies were identified between fees paid by residents and those outlined in their contracts of care. The premises of one centre was found to be unclean and in need of repairs, while record keeping in another centre required improvement. In response, the provider submitted compliance plans to address these issues.
• At a centre operated by St John of God Community Services CLG, improvements were needed in minimising potential risks for residents and in managing residents’ complaints. While the provider had arranged for major refurbishment works to be completed to one of the houses to meet the changing needs of residents in terms of age and accessibility, the poor condition of several areas and facilities in the premises posed an infection risk for residents. 

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.