HIQA has published reports on inspections carried out at six designated centres for people with disabilities in Donegal over the summer.
Non-compliances were recorded in two of them.
There were five residents at Edencrest and Cloghan Flats when the centre was inspected in July. Four non-compliances were detected in the areas of training, governance and management, notification of incidents and protection.
The full Eden Crescent & Cloghan Flat report can be read HERE.
Railway View was inspected in June, with one non-compliance noted in staffing.
In both instances, management have submitted responses outing how the issue will be addressed.
Railway View was inspected in June, with one non-compliance noted in staffing.
The full Railway View report can be read HERE.
No non-compliances were detected in four other centres – Ard Clogher, Dunwiley, Dreenan and Naomh Aine – when they were inspected over the summer.
Ard Clogher –
The full Ard Clogher report can be read HERE.
Dunwiley – 
The full Dunwiley report can be read HERE
Dreenan –
The full Dreenan report can be read HERE.
Naomh Aine –
The full Naomh Aine report can be read HERE.
HSE Media Statements –
Edencrest & Cloghan Flat designated centre:
Edencrest and Cloghan Flat is a designated centre run by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo.
Edencrest and Cloghan Flat provide full time residential care and support to adults with a disability. The designated centre is comprised of a six bedded bungalow and a one bedroom flat located within a campus setting operated by the HSE. Residents in the bungalow have their own bedroom and have access to a kitchen, dining room, two sitting rooms, clinic/visitors room and bathroom facilities. Cloghan Flat provides self-contained accommodation for one resident with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. The centre is located in a residential area of a town and is in close proximity to amenities such as shops, leisure facilities and cafes. Residents are supported on a 24/7 basis by a staff team of both nurses and health care assistants.
The centre was inspected by the Health Information Quality Authority on the 6th and 7th July 2023. Fifteen regulations were inspected. On inspection eight regulations were found to be compliant with standards, three regulations substantially compliant and four were deemed to be non-compliant. The HSE has taken actions to ensure full compliance with residential standards is achieved. The actions are as follows:
- Training in a number of identified areas has been scheduled for staff to complete.
- The Clinical Nurse Manager 1 position, which was vacant at the time of the inspection, has been recruited to.
- The centre’s audit schedule has been reviewed and all audits will be completed in line with the agreed timeframes.
- All notifications will be submitted to the Regulator (HIQA) within the required timeframes.
- The Person in Charge will ensure that all maintenance to the building will be documented and carried out in a timely manner.
- All safeguarding incidents will continue to be responded to and managed in line with the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults Policy
The report states that “Overall, the inspector found that residents were supported with their needs and were provided with a person-centred service.” The HSE will continue to work to ensure that a high quality of service is maintained ongoing within this designated centre.
Railway View:
Railway View is a designated centre for people with disabilities run by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo.
Railway View provides twenty four hour full-time residential support for three residents. The centre is comprised of a detached bungalow which is located on a small campus based setting. Each resident in Railway View has their own bedroom. The bungalow has considerable collective space and spacious gardens to the rear and the front. The centre is staffed on a 24/7 basis by nurses and Health Care Assistants. The house is within walking distance of the local town and transport is provided to accommodate residents accessing community based facilities and activities.
The centre was inspected by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) on the 21st June 2023 against fourteen regulations. Ten regulations were deemed to be fully compliant with standards, three were found to be substantially compliant and one was deemed not to be compliant. The HSE has taken actions to ensure standards in the centre are compliant with regulations as follows.
- A review of staffing within the centre has been undertaken in order to ensure that a consistent staff team is available to provide a quality service for the residents living in the centre.
- The Clinical Nurse Manager 1 position, which was vacant at the time of inspection, has been recruited to.
- An annual schedule of staff Performance Achievement Meetings for 2024 will be developed and implemented.
- The HIQA inspector noted in the report that “the staff on duty were very familiar with the residents support needs and very attentive to their requirements. The residents were provided with a good quality, person-centred and rights based service where they were involved in the running of their home and with activities in their local community.”
The HSE will continue to work to ensure that a high quality service is maintained within the Railway View centre.
St Anne’s – Naomh Áine:
Naomh Áine is a designated centre delivering residential care to people with disabilities. The centre is a detached house in a rural, coastal Gaeltacht area managed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo. The centre can provide full time residential care for four adult residents. The Naomh Áine centre accommodation consists of three bedrooms on the ground floor of which one is en-suite. In addition there is one main bathroom, a separate toilet, a living room and a well equipped kitchen with a dining area. Upstairs there is one en-suite bedroom and an additional room which is used for various activities by the residents. There is an outside patio space available and a large garden area for residents to enjoy. The staff team consists of nurses and health care assistants who are available at all times when residents are present in the centre.
The centre was inspected by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) on the 4th July 2023.
Eight regulations were inspected and were found to be fully compliant with standards.
It was noted by the HIQA inspector in the report that “enhanced governance and management arrangements in the centre led to improved outcomes for residents’ quality of life and the standard of care provided.” The HSE will continue to work to ensure that high quality services are delivered and maintained within the Naomh Áine centre.
Stranbeg Designated Centre:
The Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) undertook an announced inspection of Stranbeg designated centre for people with disabilities 28th June 2023.
Stranbeg is managed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo. The designated centre consists of two community residences – Hazelbrook Community Group Home and Summerville Apartments. Hazelbrook is a large dormer house and is located approximately 1.5km from a local town. Summerville apartments are three self-contained apartments which each consist of a bedroom, bathroom, living area and kitchenette. The Summerville apartments are located approximately 0.5km from a seaside village.
The report from the inspection notes that it was clear that staff understood residents’ communication needs and were able to communicate effectively with them. The inspector also noted that residents of Stranbeg attend Day Services and enjoy going out for meals and coffee and are supported to do this frequently.
17 regulations were inspected with 13 deemed to be in full compliance with the standards and 4 deemed to be substantially compliant. In order to bring all areas into full compliance the following actions have been undertaken:
- Contracts of Care for residents have been reviewed and updated following the completion of a financial assessment to clearly outline all charges and have been discussed with residents and/or their representatives and have been signed accordingly.
- The current arrangements for the storage of personal belongings have been assessed for each resident and any necessary changes made.
- An external cabin has been modified for use by residents as a sensory/relaxation area and a pathway has been extended which leads to a seating/patio area.
- Day and night-time practice evacuation drills have been undertaken to include different scenarios/circumstances for residents’ evacuation plans. Detailed records are being maintained in the centre’s Fire Safety Register.
The HSE will continue to work to ensure that a high quality service is maintained within the Stranbeg centre.
Dunwiley and Cloghan:
Dunwiley is a designated centre run by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo.
Dunwiley provides twenty four hour full-time residential support to adults with a disability. The centre is comprised of a detached bungalow which is located on a small campus based setting. Each resident has their own bedroom. The bungalow has considerable collective space and spacious gardens to the rear and the front. The house is within walking distance of the local town and transport is provided to accommodate residents accessing community based facilities and activities.
The centre was inspected by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) on the 21st June 2023 against eighteen regulations. Fifteen regulations were deemed to be fully compliant with standards and three were found to be substantially compliant. The HSE has taken actions to ensure all standards in the centre are compliant with regulations as follows.
All staff are now compliant in Fire Safety Training.
The Person in Charge will ensure that all maintenance to the building will be documented and carried out in a timely manner.
The HIQA inspector in the report notes that the inspection process included questionnaires being “provided for residents and their representatives to provide feedback on the service. Overall, the feedback on the service was very positive. Residents noted satisfaction with choices offered, activities, food, rights and staff.”
The HSE will continue to work to ensure that a high quality service is maintained within the Railway View centre.
Dreenan:
Dreenan designated centre is located within a small campus setting which contains six other designated centres operated by the Health Service Executive Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo. Dreenan centre provides full time residential care and support for up to five adults with an intellectual disability. Dreenan is a five bedroom bungalow, located in a residential area of a town and is in close proximity to amenities such as shops, leisure facilities and cafes. Residents of Dreenan are supported by a staff team of both nurses and health care assistants.
The centre was inspected by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) on the 24th May 2023 and 20th June 2023.
Seventeen regulations were inspected of which twelve regulations were deemed to be fully compliant with standards and five substantially compliant. The HSE has taken the following actions to ensure that all areas of the service are in full compliance with the regulations:
• The Person in Charge has reviewed all documentation in relation to fire drills and evacuations to ensure that all required actions have been completed.
• The Person in Charge will ensure that all maintenance to the building will be documented and carried out in a timely manner.
• All safeguarding incidents will continue to be responded to and managed in line with the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults Policy
• The Person in Charge will ensure that all staff complete the scheduled communication training.
The HIQA inspector noted that through a review of documentation and discussions with staff the indications were “that residents enjoyed a variety of activities that were meaningful to them. Residents were found to be given choices about what activities that did.” The inspector has also commented in the inspection report that through their observations of residents that they “were relaxed and comfortable in the centre and with the staff supporting them. Visitors were welcome to the centre and one resident was observed spending time with a family member who was visiting on the second day of inspection.”
The HSE will continue to work to maintain a high standard of quality care to the residents of Dreenan centre.
Ard Clochar Community Group Homes:
Ard Clochar is a designated centre run by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo.
Ard Clochar provides full-time and shared residential care and support to adults with a disability. The designated centre comprises of two interconnected purpose built bungalows. Residents in each bungalow have their own bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. In addition, residents have access to communal areas in each bungalow which includes a sitting room, kitchen/dining room, laundry room and additional bathroom facilities. The centre is located within a residential area of a rural town and is close to local amenities such as shops and cafes. Residents have access to an adapted vehicle at the centre which further enables them to access amenities such as leisure facilities in the surrounding area. Residents are supported by a staff team of both nurses and health care assistants who are available in the centre both during the day and at night.
The centre was inspected by the Health Information Quality Authority on the 4th and 5th of July 2023. Twenty two regulations were inspected. On inspection nineteen regulations were found to be fully compliant with standards and three were deemed to be substantially compliant.
The HSE has taken actions to ensure full compliance with residential standards is achieved. The actions are as follows:
- The service continues to work with the HSE Human Resources department to recruit staff into vacant positions.
- The centre’s training matrix is reviewed regularly and a training plan is in place for all staff.
- The Annual Review of the centre has been updated to include date of review and signature of person completing the Annual Review.
The report states that “Overall, it was evident from observation in the centre, conversations with staff, and information viewed during the inspection, that residents had a good quality of life, had choices in their daily lives, and were supported by staff to be involved in activities that they enjoyed, both in the centre, at day service and in the local community”. The HSE will continue to work to ensure that a high quality of service is maintained ongoing within the Ard Clochar designated centre
