Residents 'not kept safe from all forms of abuse at all times', watchdog finds
The reports were part of a tranche of 30 inspection reports, the majority of which outlined good practice at the various centres. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland
Three centres for people with disabilities run by the same provider in the same county have been criticised by the health watchdog, with one facility "not keeping residents safe at all times. from all forms of abuse."
The inspection reports by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) examined three different centres in Co. Wicklow all run by Sunbeam. Fire safety concerns were also raised by the watchdog.
At the Parknasilla facility in Wicklow, run by Sunbeam House Services Company Limited and home to nine residents, Hiqa found "not all residents in the designated centre were protected from all forms of abuse, at all times".
Hiqa said the centre was not properly resourced and had not complied with a number of regulations relating to protection, staffing, governance and management, infection control and fire precautions and that "considerable action was required to bring them into compliance".
A previous inspection had noted "a significant increase" in incidents at the centre and this continued during the latest inspection and a further rise in incidents in the preceding months.
Ard na Greine in Wickow, run by Sunbeam House Services Company Limited, had three residents on the day of the inspection.
"Some residents relayed their unhappiness about their lived experiences in the centre and how it was impacting on them in a negative way," the report said. Not all residents felt comfortable living in the house and at times were anxious and afraid to be in the same room as other residents. Some wanted to move out or live on their own.
Regarding emergency admissions, residents had not always been provided with a compatibility assessment - "behaviour incidents often resulted in loud shouting and noise in the house which was in contraction to some residents' assessed needs, likes and preferences."
Where safeguarding incidents had occurred, not all were notified to Hiqa as required and while there were safeguarding plans in place for residents, they were not always updated.
The provider had submitted an application to vary to add another designated centre to this designated centre in March 2022, but due to the governance issues Hiqa said the addition of another centre "could potentially increase the risk of further negative impacts to residents’ lives and increased levels of non-compliance found on the day of the inspection".
There were a number of anomalies with the designated centre's 2021 annual report, including the wrong date - December 2022 - and that it was not specific to the centre as it included a review of another designated centre, which it stated was now part of the designated centre.
Helensburgh, run by Sunbeam in Co. Wicklow, had six residents at the time of the inspection, and noise levels were an issue.
"On review of the complaints log, the inspector found that there had been a number of complaints logged by residents regarding the impact behavioural incidents were having on their lives. On commenting about an incident, where there was shouting for 30 minutes, one resident said ''it was awful'' and that they were not happy and were very upset about it."
It said there were compatibility issues between some residents and said: "For example, the additional upstairs sitting room was not being availed of by residents. As such residents were continuing to congregate in the dining area which was the environment where most of the incidents occurred."
The reports were part of a tranche of 30 inspection reports, the majority of which outlined good practice at the various centres.
