Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published a report on its review of the effectiveness of governance and management and safeguarding arrangements in registered residential centres for people with disabilities operated by Western Care Association in Co. Mayo.

Inspectors undertook a regulatory programme across all of Western Care Association’s registered residential centres between November 2022 and March 2023, including a condensed and focused inspection of 19 centres over two weeks in March 2023.

As part of the programme, inspectors met with residents, staff and senior managers. They assessed compliance with regulations on governance and management, risk management procedures, protection and positive behavioural support, and the impact on the quality and safety of care for residents living in these centres.

Overall, inspectors found that most residents were living in pleasant, homely environments with support from experienced and knowledgeable staff and persons in charge. However, poor support and accountability arrangements meant that the provider did not have adequate oversight of their own centres and this increased the risk of poor outcomes for residents in relation to their safety and wellbeing. The report being published today sets out those findings.

The Chief Inspector of Social Services within HIQA has required the provider to implement an overall governance improvement plan and to monitor the impact of that plan on improving the lived experience of people with disabilities living in their residential centres.

HIQA’s Chief Inspector, Carol Grogan, said that “to ensure residents have appropriate support to live good quality lives in homes where they are safe, providers must have appropriate and strong arrangements to monitor their own services and be able to respond should things go wrong in designated residential centres”.

The report being published today sets out the findings in relation to the overall governance and management of Western Care Association and also includes the response of the provider to the findings, including their plan to improve oversight of centres. Inspectors will continue to monitor the registered residential centres operated by Western Care Association through a focused programme of inspection over the coming 12 months to verify that the actions of the provider are resulting in improvements for people with disabilities living in those centres.

Ends.

Further information:

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement

085 805 5202, mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to the editor:

• HIQA has raised concerns about Western Care Association’s governance and the quality of care and support in designated centres since October 2022 following the receipt of solicited and unsolicited information. Inspection programmes prior to March 2023 identified significant non-compliance in those designated centres inspected, resulting in repeated escalated regulatory action.
• As of March 2023, Western Care Association was operating 36 designated residential centres in Co. Mayo. Since November 2022, HIQA has inspected 35 of these centres.
• HIQA conducted this regulatory programme in Western Care Association-operated designated centres for people with disabilities over a two-week period from 13 March to 21 March 2023. During this two-week inspection programme, inspectors met with 54 residents and 74 staff members, including all persons in charge, and spoke with residents in all 19 centres.