Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published 26 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 services for people with disabilities in Ireland. 

Of these 26 inspections, inspectors found a good level of compliance with the regulations and standards in 10 centres operated by a number of providers including; Ard Aoibhinn Community Initiatives CLG, Avista CLG, Brothers of Charity Services Ireland CLG and Clann Mór Residential and Respite CLG.

Examples of good practice observed by inspectors included:

• At a centre in Clare operated by Ard Aoibhinn Community Initiatives CLG, residents were actively involved in all aspects of the centre. They grew fruit and vegetables in the centre’s polytunnel and maintained the centre’s garden. They also chopped firewood for use across the centre and ensured their pet dog was well fed and exercised.
• Residents at a centre in Dublin operated by Avista CLG spoke about how staff supported them to be independent in aspects of their daily lives such as preparing meals, attending appointments and travelling on their own. Several residents were engaged in part-time and voluntary work, with one resident exploring the opportunity to start a hairdressing course. 
• At a centre operated by Brothers of Charity Services Ireland CLG in Galway, residents enjoyed a range of activities such as gardening, baking, arts and crafts, knitting and writing. Residents were supported to exercise their right to vote in recent elections and they made active choices on activities they wished to pursue. One resident was looking forward to a trip to the opera and a hotel stay, which had been previously postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Inspectors identified non-compliance with the regulations and standards on 16 inspections.

A high level of non-compliance was identified at a centre operated by the COPE Foundation. Governance arrangements had not ensured that safeguarding incidents were reported and that the provider’s own policy had been adhered to. Furthermore, complaints were not correctly investigated and residents had not been consulted on changes to fees charged by the provider. 

Seven inspection reports have been published on centres operated by Brothers of Charity Services Ireland CLG. Across these seven centres, non-compliance was identified in a range of areas, such as infection control, notifications, staff training and governance and management of the centres. 

At five centres operated by Avista CLG, improvements were required to ensure compliance in areas such as fire safety, governance and registration of the centre, residents’ privacy and finances, infection control, premises, and notifications.

Two inspection reports have been published on centres operated by Camphill Communities of Ireland. At one centre, action was required to ensure the privacy of residents’ personal information was protected. Furthermore, the provider had not identified potential fire risks within the centre. At another centre, improvements were required in the submission of notifications and staffing arrangements. 
Finally, at a centre operated by Dundas Unlimited Company, improvement was needed in the centre’s admissions process.

Read all reports at the link below.