Staff at centre for people with disabilities didn’t know roster, Hiqa report states

A report into a centre for people with disabilities reveals that staff arrived to work there on the morning of an inspection not knowing what shift they were on and organising the roster among themselves, a situation that contributed to “an unacceptable level of risk to residents” at the facility.

The inspection of the Vevay Close facility in Wicklow, operated by Sunbeam House Services Company Limited, resulted in a warning from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) that it would seek to have the centre closed unless steps were taken to address numerous issues.

In a separate, critical inspection report of Adults Services Palmerstown Designated Centre 1, operated by Stewarts Care Ltd in Dublin 20, Hiqa found major non-compliances with standards in every area inspected, with one resident revealing they had to lock their wardrobe as another resident frequently entered their bedroom uninvited. Locks were used in order to prevent them from taking their possessions and throwing them out the window.