Standards improving in disability sector- HIQA report

HIQA said disability inspections for 2014 “showed lack of understanding on how to meet regulations and standards”.

However the inspections carried out in 2015 “found evidence of a high standard of care and a focus on individual resident’s needs and preferences in many cases,” said HIQA.

HIQA inspected 561 of the 937 designated centres for adults and mixed centres for adults and children with disabilities in 2015. There were 741 inspections in total. This report presents an overview of the findings from the 518 announced and 223 unannounced inspections.

“Initial inspections in 2014 showed there was a lack of understanding on how to meet the requirements of the regulations and the standards,” said Ms Mary Dunnion, Chief Inspector of Social Services and Director of Regulation in HIQA,

“In particular, HIQA found that residents living in many large congregated settings were not being adequately protected or kept safe. Institutionalized care practices that had been ongoing for years were having an adverse impact on the quality of life for residents.”

However the Authority says that regulation has “brought a cultural change to the sector and has steadily led to improvements in the standard of care provided to residents. The inspections carried out in 2015 found evidence of a high standard of care and a focus on individual resident’s needs and preferences in many cases.”

Some providers were found to provide an excellent standard of care. HIQA found that providers continued to implement improved systems for complying with regulatory requirements and standards. As a result, an overall pattern has begun to emerge showing evidence of positive impacts and improved outcomes for people with disabilities.

Of inspection reports published in 2015, 49 inspections did not identify any actions required while a further 208 inspections required less than 10 actions.