'AC/DC playing in my relaxation room' — Hiqa plans to improve services following feedback from residents

Being able to play AC/DC proved of benefit to one resident who spoke with health watchdog HIQA

Hiqa has said it will use the feedback from people in residential settings to help improve its own work after it gathered feedback from groups around the country.

Last year, residents’ groups from 18 areas invited Hiqa inspectors to attend their residents’ meetings.

The subsequent report, published this week, highlights examples of what residents told inspectors about their rights, their home, their community and the people that are most important in their lives.

Mary Dunnion, chief inspector of social services and director of regulation, said: "Inspectors may not always be able to communicate with some residents due to the nature of their disability, or residents may choose not to engage with inspectors, as is their choice. Nonetheless, inspectors make every effort to seek your views on different aspects of your day-to-day life."

Issues included being heard, being able to engage in the community and being happy with their surroundings. One resident highlighted one positive aspect: “AC/DC playing in my relaxation room.”

Hiqa’s deputy chief inspector of social services, Finbarr Colfer, said:

 Listening to what residents tell us is an important part of our work and is crucial in helping us to understand what life is like for residents, living in their home.

“The report backs up the findings of our recent overview report on the inspection and regulation of disability services, where we found that people with disabilities living in congregated settings have a poorer quality of life. Residents who moved out of big, institutional settings told inspectors that they now have more of a voice in smaller homes. 

"Some of them told us that when they moved from larger settings to smaller homes in the community, they were pleased that they were offered a choice about who they would like to live with.”

He added: “We are using the information given to us by residents to improve the way we carry out our inspections, focusing on the way we engage with residents during inspections and ensuring the aspects that residents have identified as important to them are included. We will meet more residents’ groups in 2021 to listen and use the views of residents to improve our inspection work.”