Practices at centre for people with disabilities 'could be considered institutional abuse'

The inspection report into the SVC-SDN centre was one of 31 published by Hiqa, many of which highlighted examples of good practice and conveyed a sense of residents being happy with where they lived. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Health watchdog Hiqa referred a centre for people with disabilities to the HSE's National Safeguarding Office over an "institutionalised approach" to care, elements of which it claimed "could be considered institutional abuse".

The centre, SVC-SDN, run by the Daughters of Charity Disability Support Services in Dublin 7, had 10 residents at the time of the inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

"From meeting with residents, and from what the inspectors observed, there were high levels of non-compliance with the regulations inspected against during this inspection," the report said. 

Inspectors found there had been "minimal positive improvements" since a highly critical previous inspection last December.

"Due to the significant use of invasive restrictive practices, the limited freedom of movement for residents, the collective approach to the provision of behavioural supports, the limited oversight of the use of restrictive practices, the poor living environment, and the absence of meaningful supports for promotion and consideration of the rights of the resident group, the Office of the Chief Inspector referred the concern to the HSE's National Safeguarding Office as these practices could be considered as institutional abuse," it said.

This included guidance in place regarding some residents who displayed behaviours, including "shouting" or "not accepting a response from staff", was to "withdraw from the area, lock a door and garden gate, activate CCTV cameras, commence two-minute observations and to contact a senior manager."

The inspection report was one of 31 published by Hiqa, many of which highlighted examples of good practice and conveyed a sense of residents being happy with where they lived. 

However, some issues were detected at some centres.

Issues with non-compliance

Non-compliances were identified in six centres operated by the Daughters of Charity Disability Support Services CLG. 

In eight centres operated by the Brothers of Charity Services Ireland CLG, non-compliances were found in areas such as fire precautions, premises, use of restrictive practices, general welfare and development, positive behavioural support, risk management, individual assessment and personal plans, and response to complaints.

One of the issues of non-compliance found at Lohunda Park, a Community Residential Service run by Daughters of Charity Disability Support Services in Dublin 15, was that appropriate arrangements were not in place to support residents to manage their personal finances, including "a number of expenditures which included staff takeaways".

Similarly, the report into Kinvara Park Group-Community Residential Service, run by Daughters of Charity Disability Support Services in Dublin 7, said: "From a small sample of resident financial records reviewed, the inspector found that there were a number of examples whereby staff expenses were claimed through resident monies. Such expenses included takeaways, meals and coffees."

At Community Residential Service Limerick Group H, run by Daughters of Charity in Limerick, the generally positive report found: "A complaint that had been made by a resident against a particular staff member was indicated as being reviewed by and signed off by the same staff member whom the complaint was about."

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