Residents of centre for adults with disabilities in Dublin regularly exposed to 'screaming, pushing', HIQA finds
Adults with intellectual disabilities were regularly exposed to shouting, screaming, pushing and being blocked from accessing their home, an inspection report reveals.
Hazelwood Centre, operated by St Michael's House in Dublin, is a residential five-bedroom house for six adults with an intellectual disability.
Inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority who made an announced visit last November found that arrangements to safeguard residents were not effective.
“Residents were regularly exposed to shouting, screaming and being blocked from accessing their environment,” their report states.
A review of incidents in the centre, undertaken by the provider before the inspection found numerous potential safeguarding incidents had not been recorded appropriately or screened in line with national policy.
Inspectors were not satisfied that the arrangements in the centre were protecting residents from the risk of abuse.
Some of the behaviours of residents that impacted on the safety of others were caused by the environment they lived in.
Inspectors found that there was not enough effort made to identify and alleviate the cause of the resident's challenging behaviour.
A review of incidents showed that arrangments and resources did not ensure that residents could exercise choice in control of their daily lives.
On one occasion residents were prevented from leaving the premises due to the behavioural needs of another.
The staff were suitably qualified and experienced but there was an over-reliance on agency staff to meet the needs of residents.
The report outlines the changes that have been made by the centre since the inspection, including a full review of safeguarding support, and safeguarding plans for each resident that have been developed.
However, it was ongoing issues with compatibility that had a negative impact on resident's daily lives and this impeded on their ability to engage in some activities.
Residents living in Greenfields, one of several centres on a campus run by St Patricks Centre just outside Kilkenny, are unable to get out and about in the community because of a lack of transport.
Six residents were living in the centre that can support 12 when inspectors made an unannounced visit in March.
On the day of the inspection, it was a warm and sunny day but despite the fine weather residents were in their wheelchairs watching television with minimal interaction occurring.
Residents in another unit of the centre participated in meaningful activities such as ag going on a picnic and walking around the grounds.
Staff explained that due to a lack of transport it was not always feasible for residents to leave the campus.
Greenfield is registered with an additional condition to de-congregate by the end of this month.
A spokesperson for Hiqa confirmed that the centre is still operating and the authority is closely monitoring the situation to ensure residents' needs are met.
The premises remain unsuitable and institutional and while residents have been provided with single bedrooms where the decor is personalised, other rooms were bare, sterile and of a poor standard.
Inspectors found that food preparation had improved but the mealtime experience was poor.
