May 2009

 

Inclusion Ireland calls for immediate inspection and standards in services for children with a disability

• Child Abuse Commission Report says “independent inspections are essential” and children with an intellectual disability are “especially vulnerable”
• No inspectors go into services for children with an intellectual disability and there are no national standards these services must meet

 

The Child Abuse Commission Report outlines decades of abuse in services for children with a disability. The McCoy report, published in December 2007, outlined abuse in a disability service in Galway. In Leas Cross, a person with an intellectual disability died. Inclusion Ireland is now asking how many more reports do we need before the Government ensures services for children and adults with a disability must meet a certain standard and independent inspectors are allowed to enter services to ensure standards are met?

The Child Abuse Commission Report says “Independent inspections are essential…There should be objective national standards for inspection of all settings where children are placed” (7.12).

Inclusion Ireland CEO Deirdre Carroll says:

“Nearly 400 children with an intellectual disability are in full-time residential places where there is no inspection and no national standards. In addition, more than 500 other children attend residential places on a part-time or occasional basis (see editors note below).

“The Child Abuse Commission Report clearly states that children with special needs are very vulnerable, and many did not report abuse because of communication difficulties. These children were not only condemned to life in institutions up to the age of 18, but remained in institutional care as adults, unlike children without disabilities. These institutions were run by the same people who oversaw the regime they endured as children. Today, many remain in services without standards or inspection. 

“The enactment of the Children’s Act 2001 was intended to provide for the registration and inspection of residential centres for children with disabilities. But subsequent legal opinion said this amendment was not sufficient to cover all children with disabilities in residential centres. The Department of Health and Children has failed to provide the necessary legislation to date.

“In the last week, cost has been put forward as reason why inspection of residential centres for adults will not happen, despite new standards being developed and launched by HIQA.

“The bottom line is that the Irish taxpayer is paying millions for disability services that are not inspected. Inclusion Ireland has raised this issue for many years. Most recently before the Oireachtas Health Committee in December 2008.

“The Child Abuse Commission Report says no Government Department took responsibility for overseeing the quality of care provided to children with disabilities. Will the Government now take responsibility for the care of children with a disability and ensure standards and inspection are put in place?”

ENDS

Note to editors:

• The Child Abuse Commission Report deals with abuse suffered by people with an intellectual disability in Chapter 5 (Lota in Cork) and Chapter 13 (special needs schools and residential services);
• In Chapter 13, 58 witnesses testified about 14 different schools and residential services nationwide;
• Many people with a disability reporting abuse made it clear that other people who were in their school or service would not be in a position to testify to the Commission because of their lack of communication skills or because of inadequate supports;
• Number of children with disabilities in full-time and residential support places, October to December 2004*

No. of full-time places	No. of respite/part-time care places	No. of holiday placement/summer camp places
374	371	173

*Taken from ‘Directory of Residential Service Providers for Children with Disabilities 2004’ published by the Health Research Board and the Social Services Inspectorate (now HIQA)

• The above figures are taken from 2004 and we know that the number of children with a disability requiring residential support services is rising (as shown in 2008 Health Research Board Report Trends in demand for services among children with an intellectual disability, 2003-2007)
• Inclusion Ireland is the National Association for People with an Intellectual Disability. Inclusion Ireland is the largest national organisation working to promote the rights of people with an intellectual disability. Our visionis that of people with an intellectual disability living and participating in their community with equal rights as citizens to live the life of their choice to their fullest potential.

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