Major update on residential care centre in Kilkenny

A residential centre for people with intellectual disabilities in South Kilkenny is no longer facing the prospect of having its registration cancelled after it recently improved its regulatory compliance in a number of key areas.

In March 2024, the Chief Inspector of Social Services issued a notice of proposed decision to cancel the registration of Comeragh Residential Services in Kilmacow due to the continuous failure of the provider to come into compliance with key regulations.

According to HIQA, the provider responded to the notice with a written representation, outlining the actions that they would take to address the areas of concern.

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HIQA subsequently conducted an unannounced inspection at the centre in June ‘to review the actions outlined in the providers representation and determine if sufficient progress had occurred in improving the quality and safety of care being delivered to residents’.

HIQA noted that the findings indicated that the provider had made progress in achieving better levels of compliance in some areas but ‘the core concern around the incompatibility of the resident group remained’.

Substantial compliance was noted in the areas of ‘protection’ and ‘residents rights’. Compliance was noted in the areas of ‘training and staff development’ and ‘general welfare and development’. Elsewhere, non-compliance was noted in the areas of ‘governance and management’ and ‘individual assessment and personal plan’.

Inspectors observed ‘residents being supported in a kind and caring manner by the staff team’.

“They were heard chatting with residents and involving them in conversations,” inspectors noted.

“They provided support in line with their assessed needs, such as supports with feeding, eating and drinking.”

The report continues: “However, at times residents’ behaviours of concern were impacting on the lived experience of other residents in the home.

“From reviewing incident and accident reports and speaking with staff it was evident that behaviours of concern such as screaming, shouting and engagement in high intensity self-injurious behaviours were still occurring in the centre.”

It was also noted by HIQA that the inspection took place at ‘a very difficult time for all staff and residents’ because in the weeks prior, two residents had passed away.

The inspection did identify improvements in staff training and development.

The centre has been inspected on nine occasions since 2019 and this was the first inspection that the provider had met the requirements of this regulation.

HIQA further noted that “although there remained concerns around the impact of residents’ rights within the service due to the diverse mix of residents’ needs, management and staff were very supportive of residents rights and clearly knew residents very well and cared for them. Staff were observed to be professional, caring and respectful to residents rights throughout this inspection.”

A spokesperson for Brothers of Charity Services Ireland CLG, who operate the centre, stated that following the March inspection ‘we completed a comprehensive detailed action plan to address the issues raised and the progress on this plan was noted in the June inspection’.

“Further progress has been made on the remaining actions and HIQA have informed us that the Chief Inspector no longer proposes to make the decision to cancel the registration of this centre,” the spokesperson added.

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