The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published an overview report of the inspection and regulation of designated centres for people with disabilities in 2022.

HIQA inspectors carried out 1,329 inspections in disability services last year which found that the majority of centres provided a good standard of care and support to people with disabilities. However, the report outlines concerns over poor findings in relation to governance and management in a number of settings.

The report highlights an increase in non-compliance across services for people with disabilities in 2022. It states that the continued impact of COVID-19 restrictions limited service providers’ direct oversight of their centres in early 2022, and providers found it challenging to identify and resolve issues as they arose in centres and to re-establish effective arrangements for monitoring of their services. As a result, HIQA identified a deterioration in compliance that impacted directly on the quality of care and support that residents received, and their lived experiences.

HIQA’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Social Services (Disability), Finbarr Colfer, said: “Our findings consistently demonstrate that good governance and oversight arrangements in centres results in better standards and outcomes for residents. As public health restrictions eased during the second part of the year, crucially this allowed for improved management of centres by providers and for residents to re- engage in social and community activities. We continued to closely engage with providers around governance and management and oversight of their centres throughout the year, which resulted in some improvement in compliance with governance towards the end of 2022.”

Furthermore, HIQA found that there continues to be significant variance in experience of residents living in congregated settings compared to community-based settings, and outlined its commitment to ensuring that the human rights of all residents are upheld.

Mr Colfer continued: “Many residents continue to live in congregated settings, such as in large institutions or on campuses. While 2022 showed an improvement in compliance levels in congregated settings, which is to be welcomed, non-compliance continues to be higher than in community-based settings. This means that people with disabilities living in congregated settings are at higher risk of receiving a poorer quality support that does not uphold their rights.

“We are committed to driving improvements for people living in congregated settings and we prioritise applications to register centres allowing people to transition from congregated to community-based settings. We also continue to focus on ensuring a human rights-based approach to regulation for all residents, using our legislative powers to support and promote the human rights of people with disabilities.”

Read the full report and view the infographic at www.hiqa.ie.

Ends.

For further information please contact:

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement, 085 8055202, mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to the editor:

• HIQA’s Chief Inspector of Social Services regulates designated centres for people with disabilities against the Health Act 2007 (as amended), associated regulations and nationally mandated standards. Regulation sets the minimum level of service a person can expect to receive.
• As of 31 December 2022, there were 1,478 registered designated centres for people with disabilities, providing 9,030 residential places. In total, 2,279 residential places were in place across 201 centres in congregated settings, a reduction of 140 residential places. HIQA registered 121 new centres during the year, while 357 existing registrations were renewed.
• HIQA issued a notice of proposed decision to cancel registrations for 13 centres. Across 2022, HIQA received 291 instances of unsolicited information about designated centres for people with disabilities.
• HIQA carried out 1,329 inspections of designated centres for people with disabilities in 2022, including specific inspections focusing on infection prevention and control. In 2023, HIQA also reintroduced thematic restrictive practice inspections which aim to minimise restrictive practices to ensure the human rights of people with disabilities are respected. HIQA is currently developing a thematic inspection programme which will focus on safeguarding.