The amalgamation of services and HIQA Registration
THE year 2005 saw an adjustment for the Order’s service provision in Kerry with the transfer of St. Mary of the Angels services from the Franciscan Sisters of the Divine Motherhood to the St. John of God Brothers.
The next ten-years would see the opening of a children’s house, The Arches, and the setting up of Supported Living apartments in Tralee. New day services in Tralee and Listowel were also opened with the main aim of providing support to individuals living within their own communities.
Since 2013, Residential Services have been regulated by the State with the introduction of HIQA standards. This is something that has been welcomed as HIQA exists to promote sustainable improvements for the men, women and children attending services and to safeguard people using health and social care services.
Adult and Children’s Residential and Respite teams work tirelessly to ensure that these Residential Services are continuously improved and enhanced. This commitment was rewarded in September 2015 when the first HIQA registration in a Residential and Respite Children’s Service was granted in The Arches, Beaufort, Co. Kerry. This was a significant milestone for the Service. In May 2016 full compliance, with no conditions, was achieved in the Children’s Services in Abhaile, Listowel, which is also a huge achievement for everybody involved.
Since then these achievements have been replicated across community residential services, including Supported Living in Tralee. In May of this year a decision was taken by HIQA to propose the campus of Saint Mary of the Angels for registration. This was seen as a tremendous achievement by all involved as a huge amount of hard work and effort was put into enhancing the living environment for the men and women who reside on campus.