Disability services publication statement 10 November 2026

Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published 28 inspection reports on designated centres for people with disabilities.

Inspection reports have been published on centres operated by: Ability West; An Breacadh Nua; Autism A Chara; Avista CLG; Cheeverstown House CLG; Clann Mór Residential and Respite CLG; CoAction West Cork CLG; Communicare Agency Ltd; Co Wexford Community Workshop (Enniscorthy) CLG; Daffodil Care Services Unlimited; Delta Centre CLG; Dundas Unlimited Company; Embrace Community Services Ltd; Horizons; Muiríosa Foundation; Nua Healthcare Services Limited; and St Michael's House.

Today’s publication includes three reports which are part of HIQA’s programme of thematic inspections of adult safeguarding in designated centres for people with disabilities. The programme focuses on assessing the safeguarding measures that are in place in designated centres for people with disabilities and aims to promote quality improvement across services.

Inspectors found good practice in many of the centres inspected, including:

• At a centre in Dublin operated by St Michael's House, residents spoke positively about staff members and their activities including attending concerts and planned trips. One resident had a busy summer which included celebrating a milestone birthday and taking a foreign holiday with staff and another resident. The resident also described a recent trip into Dublin city with staff where they met one of their favourite television personalities.
• At a centre operated by Autism A Chara, a resident regularly attended training and the gym with the goal of winning medals at the Special Olympics. The training and commitment had resulted in the resident winning a medal, and the inspector saw that the achievement was celebrated by the resident and the staff team.
• The provider Clann Mór Residential and Respite CLG had put in place an advocacy group which met on a regular basis at a centre in Meath. Two residents were members of this committee and spoke about work completed by the group which included advocating for accessible paths in a nearby town which had subsequently been put in place, and the use of accessible information and menus in a local restaurant that several residents liked to attend.
  

Some centres were required to make improvements to enable the best possible outcomes for residents. Providers of these centres submitted compliance plans outlining the changes they will make following the inspection. These included:

• An immediate action was issued to Embrace Community Services Ltd to make sure that staff could access all areas of the centre to ensure the safety of residents. Residents were impacted from ongoing safeguarding incidents occurring within the centre. However, the provider had not reported, investigated or taken actions in line with national safeguarding policy. In response, the provider took steps to ensure staff had access to all locked rooms. In addition, the person in charge committed to improving staff awareness of safeguarding responsibilities, reviewing retrospective incidents and taking proactive measures to reduce risks.
• A centre operated by Cheeverstown House CLG was found to be unsafe for residents due to the poor storage of dangerous materials. In addition, residents were impacted by ongoing safeguarding incidents which the provider had not addressed. In response, the provider’s risk manager took immediate action to make the environment safe for residents and alternative accommodation is being considered to better meet residents’ needs.
• An immediate and urgent action was issued to Avista CLG to address fire safety issues which posed a risk to the safety of residents. An external area of the centre was not fitted with smoke or fire detection or alarm systems. In addition, the provider had not identified all restrictive practices impacting residents. In response, the provider took immediate action to remedy fire safety concerns and committed to address areas of non-compliance.
  

Editor’s notes:

• HIQA inspects against the Health Act 2007 (Care and Support of Residents in Designated Centres for Persons (Children and Adults) with Disabilities) Regulations 2013 and the National Standards for Residential Services for Children and Adults with Disabilities, which apply to residential services for people with disabilities in Ireland.