A total of 30 incidents of suspected or alleged peer-to-peer abuse were reported in a disability centre in Cork city, the health and safety watchdog has said.
On Tuesday, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) published a report for an unannounced inspection at the Cork City North 3 disability centre, run by Horizons.
The inspection, which took place in December, noted some improvements since the previous inspection but highlighted “ongoing noncompliance with the regulations”, particularly around the safety of residents.
According to the report, the registered provider was “not fully protecting residents from all forms of abuse”.
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The “incompatibility” of residents in some units was continuing to affect the ability of management and staff to meet the needs of these residents and was contributing to “increased safeguarding risks and ongoing safeguarding incidents”, it states.
The provider made progress with a plan to change the living arrangements of some residents, but the report states that the safeguarding plans were “not effective”.
For example, in the 12 months before the inspection, 30 incidents of suspected or alleged abuse were reported to the chief inspector. All of these were peer-to-peer incidents and included low- and medium-level incidents of physical, verbal and emotional abuse, the report states.
“While none of these were indicated as causing serious harm to any resident, one resident did express to inspectors that they did not feel fully safe in the centre and the incidents reported did indicate that there was ongoing impact to residents from people that they lived with.”
[ Moving people with disabilities to community-based premises ‘stalled’, says HiqaOpens in new window ]
In response to the inspection findings, the provider has assigned a project lead to examine people in its care moving to community living while receiving the support they need. All staff have now also completed safeguarding training.
Separately, Hiqa found noncompliance in Oldfield services, a disability centre run by Ability West in Galway.
According to the report, the inspection was conducted “following the receipt of unsolicited information relating to concerns around the quality and safety of care in this centre”.
Residents had either stated or indicated that safety needed to be improved and that shouting and hitting could occur within their home.
According to the inspection report, the provider was aware of these issues, but sufficient action was not taken to address residents' concerns.
A “significant number of behaviours of concern, which had led to safeguarding concerns”, occurred in communal areas, the report said. “Residents had informed the provider that they had to close a door to protect themselves and they regularly heard shouting and observed hitting,” it said.
In response to the inspection, the provider said all staff have now completed safeguarding training, while safe guarding plans have been reviewed. The provider also completed suitability and compatibility assessments for residents.
