Disability centre fails to address fire safety
A privately run residential centre for people with disabilities failed to address major fire safety concerns raised in an engineer’s report in June of last year.
Inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority found none of the report’s recommendations had been addressed when they visited the adult St Michael’s centre in Kilkenny in May.
The centre, operated by St Patrick’s Centre (Kilkenny) Ltd, consists of two separate bungalows side by side and is one of five centres based in a campus-style environment.
When inspectors arrived last May to inspect St Michael’s, they discovered that the fire evacuation route from one unit was blocked with debris, chairs, and a used door. According to the inspectors’ report, published yesterday, the home, which had 21 residents at the time of the announced visit, had failed to ensure there were effective fire safety management systems in place.
A separate unit on the campus, Our Lady’s, became the first disability centre to have its registration cancelled in June of this year because of fire safety concerns and insufficient staffing.
Inspectors found that St Michael’s was also failing to ensure staffing was adequate to deal with its residents — people with complex healthcare and support needs.
They found the premises dirty and poorly maintained — there were cobwebs in many areas, the flooring was shabby throughout and furniture needed to be replaced. There were two rodent traps in the dining room of one of the bungalows.
Two restrictions placed on residents had been referred to the organisation’s human rights committee but had not been addressed, including one identified during a previous Hiqa inspection in February 2014.
The inspectors also found the management of residents using physical restraint such as bed rails, lap belts, and a safety harness needed to be reviewed. Prior to the inspection, Hiqa had been notified of a potential issue of staff misconduct at the centre.
Inspectors found residents were left sitting for a long time without any interaction with staff.
Nearly all the feedback received from families mentioned that the centre did not have enough staff.
Inspectors were not satisfied that there was an effective complaints process in place to allow residents and/or their relatives to make a complaint.
A second inspection report about a centre on the same campus for up to 10 children with disabilities found that some children who needed psychological or occupational therapy, assessment and treatment, did not receive the services or were placed on a lengthy waiting list.
Not every child had a written contract setting out the services to be provided and the charges that applied. There was a contract on file for some children containing information that was either out of date or not relevant.
Both premises where the children’s service is provided had not been painted for several years and were in need of redecoration and repair. The inspectors also found vehicles used by the children’s service had badly worn tyres.
St Patrick’s Centre said the changes needed to comply with Hiqa standards were almost complete.
