The health watchdog, HIQA, has found that a care facility in Kerry was non-compliant with ten out of 13 regulations relating to patient care.
Inspectors carried out an unannounced risk inspection at Camphill Community Dingle after the Chief Inspector of Social Services received 'unsolicited information of concern'.
At the time of the inspection in March, the residential centre was home to seven adults with mild to moderate disabilities, as well as autism.
The service provider, Camphill Communities of Ireland, says it is committed to ongoing audits, improved policy management, and other measures to ensure lasting compliance with regulations.
On 21st March, HIQA inspectors found that two staff members were living in a vacant resident’s bedroom and had access to the residents’ shared kitchen, dining, and living areas.
The centre was found to be non-compliant in areas including fire precautions, healthcare, protection of residents’ rights, governance and management, and notification of incidents.
Inspectors reported a staffing deficit, a lack of consistency in the staff team, high turnover, and significant reliance on agency workers.
Volunteers were used to cover shifts, including overnight, but were not formally included in rosters.
Four unplanned fire evacuations had not been reported.
Although all staff had completed safeguarding training and demonstrated knowledge of reporting procedures, the staff living arrangement had not been identified as a safeguarding risk.
Only three of the twenty policies detailing resident care standards, which Camphill Community Dingle is legally obliged to have, were up to date.
Residents’ rights were not consistently upheld, as evidenced by staff moving into shared accommodation with only three days’ notice, staff sharing communal spaces with residents, significant rent discrepancies between residents and staff, and personal emergency evacuation plans containing private information being stored in a communal area.
Inspectors found that residents’ personal plans were outdated, lacked regular goal monitoring, did not clearly document health and support needs, were not in accessible formats, and failed to reflect current activities, key worker meetings, or participation in national screening programmes.
Healthcare support plans were incomplete, with missing documentation for conditions such as diabetes, poor monitoring of weight gain, low compliance with physiotherapy, and no evidence of participation in national screening programmes.
Management systems were found to be ineffective, with several issues from the October 2023 inspection still unresolved and internal audits failing to identify repeated non-compliances.
Camphill Communities of Ireland, the service provider, has committed to addressing these failings.
This includes a full review and adjustment of staffing levels and skill mix, new staff recruitment, and consistent agency support with enhanced induction and supervision.
Regular fire drills are now scheduled.
Camphill stated that comprehensive reviews of residents’ personal and healthcare support plans are underway.
Safeguarding protocols have been strengthened, with staff removed from inappropriate living arrangements and clear reporting procedures now in place.
