The Health Information and Quality Authority has today published draft National Quality Standards: Residential Services for People with Disabilities. 

The standards will provide a national framework to set out what a quality, safe service for people with disabilities in a residential service in Ireland should be.

Dr. Marion Witton, Chief Inspector of the Social Services Inspectorate at the Health Information and Quality Authority said “The draft standards published today for consultation have been developed with input from those who use the service, their representatives and advocates, together with those who provide and deliver the service.”

“Our overall aim in creating the draft standards is to promote good, safe practice. We hope they will encourage the continuous quality improvement of residential services for people with disabilities in the coming years. The National Quality Standards outline what is expected of a provider of services and what a service user, their family and the public can expect to receive in residential care settings. I firmly believe they will contribute towards allowing people with disabilities to live in a safe, caring and respectful environment.”

The standards are grouped under seven headings which address issues such as quality of life, staffing, protection, development and health, rights, the physical environment and governance and management. Taken together, they aim to set out what a good quality service for people with disabilities should be.

The Authority is now consulting with interested parties and the general public on the draft National Quality Standards: Residential Services for People with Disabilities. The Authority is also inviting members of the public, residents, staff and other interested parties to submit their views.

Information collected from this consultation process will be used to inform the development of the final set of standards later this year.

Following their completion, regulations will be drafted by the Department of Health and Children to give statutory effect to the new standards. These will form the first registration of residential services for people with disabilities. All centres providing residential services will then be inspected against these standards.

Members of the public and interested parties wishing to submit their views on the draft National Quality Standards: Residential Settings for People with Disabilities can do so until Friday, 31st October 2008 by completing the online feedback form or writing to: Residential Care Standards Feedback, Health Information and Quality Authority, Social Services Inspectorate, Morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin 2. Submissions can also be emailed to: consultation@hiqa.ie.

Ends.

Further Information: 

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

01 8047651 / 086 2447623 mwhelan@hiqa.ie