National Quality Standards: Residential Services for People with Disabilities

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1 Your guide to the National Quality Standards: Residential Services for People with Disabilities

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3 Introduction Under the Health Act 2007, all residential services for people with disabilities must be registered with the (the Authority). This short guide outlines the standards that services must meet to be registered. The full document, National Quality Standards: Residential Services for People with Disabilities, sets out the standards in detail and gives you more information about what residential services must do to be registered. You can access this document: on our website, or by contacting us on (01) or by ing us at The standards are based on a positive vision for developing services to support people with disabilities in Ireland. They represent the ideas of enablement and possibility and focus on what people with disabilities can do when they receive the right support. 3

4 Background to the standards The (the Authority) was set up in 2007 and reports to the Minister for Health and Children. It is the independent organisation that helps to improve the safety and quality of Ireland s health and social care services. The Authority set up a working group at the end of 2007 to help write these standards. The group was made up of: people with disabilities, parents of people with disabilities, people who work with and advocate for people with disabilities, people who provide services for people with disabilities, people from the Department of Health and Children, people from the National Disability Authority (NDA), and people from the Health Information and Quality Authority. 4

5 The standards have been approved by the Health Information and Quality Authority. They will be approved by the Minister for Health and Children once the Department of Health and Children has set out what meeting the standards will mean for the residential services. The Minister may ask for some changes to the standards. When the final standards are agreed, they will apply to all residential services provided by the HSE (Health Service Executive), private organisations or voluntary bodies. 5

6 Principles supporting the standards The standards are based on the seven key principles explained below. People who live in residential services for people with disabilities should have a good quality of life. People living in residential services should feel that the place where they live is home. They should be able to live a full life and follow their interests. They should be able to make friends and have relationships. For people in residential services to enjoy a good quality of life, there should be good staff who understand and support them. People who live in residential services for people with disabilities should feel safe. People living in residential services should feel that the place where they live is safe. They need to know that they will not be abused, neglected, bullied or harassed in any way. 6

7 The rights of people with disabilities who live in residential services should be protected and promoted. Each person should be able to make their own choices, take part in running the service where they live and contribute to the life of the community. People with disabilities who live in residential services should not be discriminated against. This means that places in residential services must be given fairly. Those people living in residential service should have the same rights as other people, for example the right to have relationships and marry, if they so wish. The services should be person-centred. People with disabilities should be supported to live their lives the way they wish. Person-centred services provide the right support at the right time to enable people to live their own lives. 7

8 The standards should encourage community integration. Research tells us that people enjoy a better quality of life when they live in small homes in the community rather than in large, isolated institutions. The standards support the continuing development of smaller, residential services in the community. This allows people who live in residential services to become more involved in local activities. Residential services for people with disabilities should be well run. Residential services for people with disabilities should be organised and managed in a way that fits with the principles described above. 8

9 What do the standards mean for you? Residential services must meet the standards across seven areas: 1 quality of life, 2 staffing, 3 protection, 4 health and development, 5 rights, 6 the physical environment, and 7 governance and management. Over the next few pages, we outline what the standards will mean for you as someone living in the residential service. 1 Quality of life You should have control over your own life, make choices and contribute to the community in the way you want to. You should be treated with dignity and people should respect your privacy. The service should take account of your wishes and interests. You should have the chance to develop and maintain friendships and relationships. 9

10 2 Staffing The staff should have the right qualifications and training to give you the support you need. The staff should have the right personal qualities to help them get on well with you. There should always be enough staff on duty to make sure you are safe and help you with your personal plan. The staff should get regular training and support to make sure they keep giving you a good service Protection You should be protected from any type of abuse including bullying, harassment and neglect. The staff and service should respect your money, property and belongings. These should only be used in the way you want. You should get advice and help on how to protect yourself. You should not be restrained, isolated from other people or given medicines to manage your behaviour unless there is an immediate risk to your safety or the safety of other people. The staff and service should deal with any concerns for your safety and welfare and make sure you are safe.

11 4 Development and health You should have a plan that sets out how you want to live your life and how the service will support you in achieving your goals. You should have the best possible health, as this will help you to achieve your goals. 5 Rights You should get information in a way that suits your needs to help you make decisions. The staff and service should respect your right to make your own decisions. You should be able to exercise your rights as a citizen, for example voting in an election. The service should make the decision to offer you a place fairly. You and the service should agree in writing about the type of service you get. You should be able to make complaints with confidence that they will be taken seriously and dealt with properly. Making a complaint should not damage your care or how you are treated. 11

12 6 The physical environment The place you live in should be homely, accessible to you and adapted to your needs. The residential service should promote safety in a way that also gives you a good quality of life. 7 Governance and management Governance means the way a service is organised and run. The residential service should be run in a way that makes sure you have the chance to achieve your goals. The service should put in writing what it is and what service it provides. The day-to-day practice in the service should match what is in writing. The residential service should only keep records about you that help staff give you the support you need. 12

13 Registering and inspecting residential services Under the Health Act 2007, the people who provide and manage the residential services must prove that they are fit to do this so that they can be registered. To be defined as a fit person under the Act, these people must, among other things: be of good character, have no serious criminal convictions, and understand and implement the standards. The s Social Services Inspectorate will decide if a manager or person running the service is a fit person. The Inspectorate will also inspect residential services to make sure that they are meeting the new standards and that everyone living there is getting the quality of support they deserve. An inspection involves an inspector (sometimes two inspectors) visiting the service to: check records, talk to staff and residents, and observe how things are done. 13

14 The inspector will then write a report about the service and how it is meeting the standards. If the service does not meet them, the report will recommend how to improve things. Inspectors can take action to make sure that services improve and may even close down services if they put the welfare and safety of residents at risk. Record of inspections and registered services The will publish all inspection reports and will keep a list of all the services that have been registered. This is called the register. This will be available on the Authority s website, If you do not have access to the web or if you need any help, please contact us at: Social Services Inspectorate George s Court, George s Lane Smithfield, Dublin 7 Phone: (01) info@hiqa.ie or, Unit 1301, City Gate, Mahon, Cork Phone: (021)

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16 For more information please visit: