Two centres for people with disabilities – previously issued with notice to cancel their registration for negatively impacting residents’ quality of life – have been instructed to improve safeguarding, staffing and the management of complaints.
HIQA inspectors found non-compliance in four centres operated by Avista CLG.
The two centres in question had been previously issued with notices to cancel their registration because of the negative impact on residents.
Since the last inspection at one of the centres, the Chief Inspector of Social Services received both solicited and unsolicited information of concern.
This included three pieces of unsolicited information in the form of concerns about residents’ rights, premises and residents’ finances.
The solicited information included a number of notifications of alleged abuse.
Inspectors identified a number of concerns relating to residents’ finances which had not been recorded, reported or followed up as a safeguarding concern.
As a result, the allegations were not appropriately notified to the designated officer, an investigation was not completed and safeguarding plans were not put in place as required.
Overall, the inspectors were not assured that there were appropriate systems in place to ensure that residents were protected from experiencing incidents of a safeguarding nature.
HIQA said inspectors would continue to monitor the centres to ensure that the provider continued to provide residents with “a quality of service that they are entitled to”.
Thirty-two HIQA inspection reports on designated centres for people with disabilities have been published.
The independent watchdog found that in two Co Action West Cork centres, governance and management arrangements did not ensure that care and support provided to residents was consistent and effectively monitored.
Non-compliance was also identified in two centres operated by the Brothers of Charity Services Ireland.
In one centre, improved infection control arrangements were required.
In the other centre, improvements were required to the condition of the premises, which was observed to be unclean, with clutter and food leftovers visible throughout the centre.
In one Ability West centre, the provider had not ensured it was resourced appropriately for the effective delivery of care and support to residents.
HIQA said inspectors found that the provider’s arrangements to manage emergencies at the centre required further improvement.
Two centres operated by the Health Service Executive also required improvements.
One premises was not suited to residents’ needs, while improvements to staffing and residents’ general welfare and development was required in the other centre.
In a Clann Mór Residential and Respite Company Limited centre, non-compliances were identified in areas such as governance and management, admissions and contract for the provision of services, personal possessions, risk management procedures and protection against infection.
Inspectors observed a number of institutional practices in a Carriglea Cairde Services centre which impacted negatively on residents’ rights, their privacy and dignity, and their choice and control over decisions relating to their care and support.
In a Communicare Agency Limited centre, improvements were needed to arrangements for infection control and the admissions and contract for the provision of services.
At a centre operated by Delta Centre Company Limited, improvements were required to ensure residents were supported to manage their own financial affairs.
In a Camphill Communities of Ireland centre, staffing needed to improve to ensure residents’ healthcare needs were appropriately assessed and met.
Examples of good practice were also observed by inspectors.
At a centre in Co Meath operated by the HSE, residents were supported to make choices about the care and support they received.
They were involved in weekly house meetings and key worker meetings and spoke about how they made choices about what they wanted to do.
At a centre in Co Galway operated by Brothers of Charity Services Ireland, residents were supported to achieve their personal goals, with one resident telling the inspector about a recent holiday to Spain they had planned and enjoyed.
They were also supported to keep in touch with their families, with one resident speaking about a recent family celebration they had attended and with residents having access to either their own mobile phones or personal computer tablets to stay in touch with family.
At a centre in Co Limerick operated by Avista CLG, residents spoke about how important their independence was to them.
They told the inspector about how they made choices, their jobs and their confidence that staff would listen to and address any concerns they had.
Residents also spoke about activities they enjoyed at the centre including summer garden parties and birthday celebrations.
Source: Two disability centres told to improve safeguarding (rte.ie)
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