THE STATE’s health standards watchdog says it wants residential services for up to 10,000 people with disabilities to be subject to independent inspections and standards towards the end of next year.
At present, there are no inspections or standards of care for people with disabilities in residential care. The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) yesterday published draft national standards for a quality and safe service for people with disabilities.
Officials at the authority say they hope the new standards and inspection regime will come into force towards the end of 2009. Launching the draft standards yesterday, Dr Marion Witton, chief inspector of the social services inspectorate at the Hiqa, said they were aimed at promoting good, safe practice. The standards address issues such as quality of life, staffing, protection, health, rights, the physical environment, and governance and management.
“The national quality standards outline what is expected of a provider of services and what a service user, their family and the public can expect to receive in residential care settings. I firmly believe they will contribute towards allowing people with disabilities to live in a safe, caring and respectful environment,” she said.
The authority is inviting the public, residents, staff and other interested parties to submit their views on the new standards. Once they come into force, centres providing residential services will be registered and inspected against these standards.
The standards will not, however, cover people with disabilities who are admitted into what many health professionals consider inappropriate centres, such as psychiatric hospitals. Dr Witton said this was ultimately a matter for the Health Service Executive. The Hiqa will be limited to inspecting registered centres which specifically provide services for people with disabilities.
Meanwhile, officials at the authority say they expect new standards and independent inspections of nursing homes will begin early next year.