Disability services to be regulated

RESIDENTIAL homes and services for people with disabilities will finally begin to be inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) “this time next year”, the minister of state with responsibility for the sector Kathleen Lynch has said.

There is currently no independent inspection of disability services for children or adults, and no statutory standards that services the sector.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Ms Lynch said standards drawn up by HIQA in 2009 would finally be used to inspect the facilities and this would start by July 2011. Ms Lynch said while HIQA had expressed concern that the standards were not robust enough, she wanted to get the ball rolling. “I believe the ones which are there are adequate so let’s implement them and if they need to be ramped up after that we can do that. They have agreed to that,” she said.

Ms Lynch was speaking following a visit to Grove House, a secure unit for 30 people with intellectual disabilities which just last year the minister called “the most inappropriate place one could possibly imagine for their condition”.

Ms Lynch said there would be a “fundamental” change in the way the unit is run in the future,

She said there were people there who did not need to be there and that staff were “up for the challenge” of moving people into more suitable environments.

“In terms of families not being allowing visit — that has to be dealt with, it is their home and when families want to visit, even if it’s unannounced it should be OK and that is what we are talking about in terms of the service changing.”

“I can understand why the unit needs to be locked as there are safety concerns but in terms of family visits that is a completely different thing.”

Ms Lynch said staff at the unit are up for that challenge but there needs to be a new skill mix put into the service — a multi-disciplinary team which will have an effect on people’s behaviour and in turn more and more people will be able to live outside the secure setting.

“There are people who need that kind of secure care, people with very challenging behaviour, but there are people who did not need to be there. But my impression is that it’s a very well run unit, and there are very dedicated staff who need our praise and support.”

Grove Lodge is a “closed unit”, though there is no legislation governing the rules which keep family members out of the living area.

Dr Darius Whelan, lecturer in law at University College, Cork, said from a legal point of view, because there are no statutory standards around the disability residential sector, it is more of a cultural throw-back then a legal one.