The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published 24 reports on residential services 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 and respite services across all disability services in Ireland.

Of the 24 reports published, 11 of the inspections found that, in general the provider was ensuring that residents had a good quality of life and were safe.

Inspections into seven Daughters of Charity centres found that while some improvements were required, three centres were providing safe services that met the needs of residents. One of these was a centre which specialised in supporting residents who had dementia, and inspectors found that staff were compassionate and caring in the way that they supported residents. However, the provider was failing to provide a suitable service to support residents in four of the centres. Two of these centres were based on a campus setting and two were small, community-based centres.

Seven reports for St John of God centres have also been published this morning. Overall, while there were some areas for improvement, inspectors found evidence of appropriate care and support being provided to residents in these centres. Three of the centres were campus-based and inspectors found that there had been substantial progress in addressing the very serious issues that had been identified on previous inspections.

Four of today’s reports concern centres operated by Western Care Association. Inspectors found that residents in one centre had a very good quality of life and there was a high level of compliance with the National Standards and the regulations. Another report related to the inspection of a new centre that the provider had applied to register, and while there were no residents living there, inspectors found that the provider had made appropriate arrangements for residents to move into the centre once registered. However, the provider was found to be failing to provide residents with an appropriate service in two other centres. Five major non-compliances were found on inspection in one centre relating to premises, health and safety and risk management, social care needs, governance and management and workforce. Four major non-compliances were found in the other centre in the following outcomes: Health and Safety and Risk Management, Notification of Incidents, General Welfare and Development, Social Care Needs.

Three reports relate to centres run by Camphill Communities of Ireland. Inspectors found that the provider was failing to manage these centres appropriately, particularly in relation to having adequate safeguarding arrangements to protect residents from the risk of abuse. There were also major concerns in relation to health and safety and risk management in these centres.

A Gheel Autism Services centre in Kildare was found to effectively support residents to have a good quality of life. While some improvement was required in the areas of fire drills and documentation, inspectors found that the provider had ensured a high level of compliance with the National Standards and the regulations.

Inspection reports for Praxis Care and for Nua Healthcare are also being published today. While the providers were found to be compliant in a number of areas, inspectors found that they had failed to put adequate risk management arrangements in place.