Serious defects revealed at Cope centre

A new inspection report has found serious defects at a centre operated by the Cope Foundation in Cork, with health watchdog Hiqa asking there be no more admissions there until further notice.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) also issued a warning letter to the Cope Foundation following the unannounced inspection, which took place on November 5 and 6.

The unnamed centre, which has eight houses and residential services for up to 41 adults with intellectual disabilities, was found to have “serious and significant non-compliance” in a number of areas, with inspectors unclear whether the causes of incidents — some of which saw residents assaulted by their peers — were properly identified.

Workers said poor staffing levels had led to residents being hurt, with concerns also raised over the use of physical restraint on a resident for a routine blood test. Other findings included insufficient staffing, inadequate supervision of care practices, poor risk management and care plans, residents left sitting for long periods with no interaction, and staff not provided with adequate fire safety training.

“It was not clear to inspectors whether the possible causes of multiple incidents involving residents were identified, many of which resulted in residents sustaining minor injuries as a result of assaults by peers,” the report said.

Staff confirmed that the inadequate staffing levels resulted in episodes of escalated behaviours that were challenging for individual residents and in some cases saw residents sustain injuries, the report said.

On the use of physical restraint on a resident to take a blood test, the report queries if the resident’s right to refuse the treatment had been respected or recorded.

The inspection was the first carried out by Hiqa at the centre and the report does note good work by staff. The Cope Foundation said it took the “very disappointing” findings “very seriously” and committed to an action plan, including a full review of services and more staff training.

The foundation runs a number of services in Cork City and county and said it was not in a position to name the centre in this report, as “the houses referred to are people’s homes and we must protect the privacy of the residents concerned”.

A Cope spokesperson said staffing levels were boosted through the relief panel after the inspection and a submission was made to the HSE about more staff being hired. “Initial meetings with the HSE have taken place and further discussions are planned to progress this matter,” she said. A number of other recently published Hiqa reports on other Cope services found few, if any, issues of concern.