Full bill of health for child centre

GLOWING REPORT FROM INSPECTORATE ON NORTH KERRY FACILITY

HIQA inspectors could find no fault with a North Kerry respite care home for children with intellectual disabilities in what is considered a rare report by national standards of a health facility satisfying every last criterion under which it was tested.

The glowing report concerned the Abhaile centre at 41 Ashfield, Listowel, where up to 25 children from the greater region receive respite care, after schools provision and weekend respite.

Operated by the St John of God Community Services, Abhaile caters primarily for children between the ages of 6 and 18, with a handful of adults availing of its respite care on alternate weekends. Abhaile was formerly based in Ballyduff up until the unit moved to Listowel in 1999.

A Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) officer visited the centre on May 3 and 4 last, scrutinising it under 18 separate criteria as part of a ‘monitoring’ inspection undertaken to inform a registration decision.

Criteria under which Abhaile was judged ranged from the residents’ rights, dignity and consultation to communication, family and personal relationships, health and safety, gener- al welfare, workforce and more.

“Overall, the inspector was satisfied that the provider had put systems in place to ensure that the regulations were being met. This resulted in positive experiences for residents... good practice was identified in all 18 outcomes,” the report found.

The first area of inspection - rights and dignity - found that residents were consulted with in all aspects of their time in Abhaile, the report sets out:

“Residents are consulted with and participate in decisions about their care and about the organisation of the centre... each resident’s privacy and dignity is respected. Each resident is enabled to exercise choice and control over his/her life in accordance with his/her preferences and to maximise his/her independence. Complaints... are listened to and acted upon.”