THE HEALTH WATCHDOG HIQA has published findings from a number of inspections on disability services for children and young people.
Overall, inspections by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) found that the facilities offered good quality care to patients.
Where facilities were non-compliant were in areas such as management of hazard identification and risk assessment and medication management, while some were found not to have proper care-plans where plans were not child-centred.
The inspector found the Brothers of Charity in Limerick to be giving a good quality service that is “delivered in a caring, respectful and professional manner”.
Resident’s needs
The report said that staff were knowledgeable regarding each resident’s assessed needs and the inspector was satisfied that individual needs were being met. Staff supported residents in making decisions and choices about their lives. Residents were supported to pursue their interests, hobbies including music, art and sport.
The residents at Western Care Association were found to be encouraged to have full ownership and participation in their care. Residents had good knowledge of their health challenges and were supported to achieve independence and autonomy in their lives in relation to health care outcomes.
Some non-compliances were in relation to staff training in medication management,
documentation of weights as per the organisation policy and safe and suitable
Speaking following the publication of the reports, Director of Empowering People in Care (EPIC), Jennifer Gargan said that while a number of service providers have been described as providing good quality care, the lack of care planning, the absence of the voice of the child and training to safeguard and protect children have been identified as issues of concern.
EPIC has witnessed an increasing number of referrals of children and young people with disabilities who are in the care of Tusla (the Child and Family Agency).Many of these children are non-verbal, with moderate to profound disabilities who have no one to speak out on their behalf.
Of particular concern to EPIC is the need for every child residing in a disability service who are in the care of the State to be allocated a social worker.
The absence of an allocated social worker can severely impact on a young person’s assessment of need, care planning and transition into adult services.
She said that children and young people with disabilities are particularly susceptible to abuse and neglect, adding that these children deserve the same standard of care given to all children in the care of the State.
“It is vital that all service providers comply with HIQA standards to deliver the highest quality service,” she said.
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