HIQA inspectors recorded issues relating to governance and management, positive behavioural support, and protection
More than one-third of the designated centres for disabilities recently inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) failed to comply with national care standards.
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.
Today (November 25), the health watchdog published inspection reports from 21 disability centres on its website, hiqa.ie, which were carried out between June and October this year.
Eight of the centres visited by the health watchdog’s inspectors were found to be noncompliant with one or more of the regulations as set out in the legislation.
The service provider at five centres — Dunwiley & Cloghan, Co Donegal; Ox View Services; Co Sligo; Avalon House, Co Meath; Leeside, Co Kilkenny; and Cill Aoibhinn Group Home and Ballydevitt Group Home, Co Donegal — was the Health Service Executive (HSE).
HIQA said its inspectors recorded issues relating to governance and management, positive behavioural support, and protection at the HSE centres.
The other three centres which had failed to comply with regulations were Brookhaven, Co Offaly, where the service provider was listed as Nua Healthcare Services Limited; Praxis Care, Co Dublin; and Navan Adult Residential Service, where the service provider was RehabCare.
The issues raised at the non-HSE centres included problems with residents’ rights, medicines and pharmaceutical services, premises, and governance and management.
Examples of good practice observed by HIQA inspectors at the other centres included: staff at a Peter Bradley Foundation centre consulting with residents and families to improve the service; Nua Healthcare Services staff finding a school placement for a child in the local area; and residents in an HSE centre moving to a less-congregated setting in June 2020.
