A DISABILITY CENTRE in Kildare was closed by St John of God Services and residents were moved from two others after a series of damning inspection reports.
In a new report published today, The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) said a series of ten unplanned inspections were undertaken to assess progress in addressing concerns raised in previous visits to the St Raphael’s campus in Celbridge. In total, the centre was home to 137 people with intellectual disabilities.
These unannounced inspections found evidence of “institutional practices, poor outcomes for residents and areas of risk to residents relating to safeguarding and health and safety”.
At one centre failures were noted in ensuring the dignity of residents was respected. There was a communal bathroom that up to three residents used at once with old curtains to provide privacy.
Staffing was also found to be an issue, with high levels of absenteeism and unfilled vacancies. In one incident, a resident was found to be wearing a shoe on one foot and a sports trainer on the other. Staff had not taken the time to dress the person appropriately before they went on an outing.
Due to the seriousness of the concerns, HIQA issued a number of immediate actions, warning letters and held regulatory and escalation meetings with the service provider and members of senior management.
The oversight body issued notices of proposal to cancel the registration of three of the centres on the campus. Following this, St John of God Services said it had plans for the closure of one centre and plans to provide alternative arrangements for a number of other residents.
More recent inspections found substantive changes had been undertaken across the campus but that further improvements were needed.
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