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: Cheeverstown House CLG; Muiríosa Foundation; Peamount Healthcare; Talbot Care Unlimited Company; The Cheshire Foundation in Ireland; 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; and Western Care Association.

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

• Residents’ family members were very positive about a centre operated by Peamount Healthcare, with one describing it “a home from home”. The family member spoke positively about the multidisciplinary team within the centre and highlighted how the physiotherapy department had helped bring about physical improvements for the resident since they arrived at the centre. Residents in the centre required significant medical and transport equipment to visit family homes and the provider supported them to do so. 
• Residents were assisted to engage with their local community in centre in Meath operated by Stewarts Care DAC. Two of the residents went to mass in the local church on Sundays and one had started voluntary work with a local community team. This resident was interested in gaining paid employment and was being supported to join a training programme to develop employment skills. Another resident took responsibility for completing the food shopping with the assistance of staff.
• In a centre in Kildare operated by Muiríosa Foundation, residents liked to attend theatre shows and concerts and were supported by staff to do so. One resident enjoyed doing arts and crafts and their home had a small crafts room where they would spend some time in during the evening. The resident told the inspector that they love their home and that they would not change anything in the house.

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:

• At two centres operated by Western Care Association, the provider needed to better support residents in making meaningful choices, promote residents’ rights and review the use of restrictive practices. In one centre, while the provider had taken some steps to support residents to have more choice and control about their lives, further actions were needed to further improve the service provided to residents ensuring the promotion of their rights. 
• A resident’s personal finances were not adequately safeguarded at a centre operated by Talbot Care Unlimited Company. The inspector sought assurances over a resident’s consent and appropriateness of significant spending on therapy sessions. In response, the provider completed a full review of the services being provided to the resident to ensure adequate oversight was in place.
• At a centre operated by St John of God Community Services CLG, concerns were raised about a resident’s bedroom door not having a heat protection strip, which compromised its fire safety effectiveness. The day after the inspection, the provider arranged for this issue to be fixed. 

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.