A damning report by HIQA found nine non-compliances at a Donegal centre for adults with disabilities.
Ballytrim House in Raphoe is a residential care centre, which had seven residents at the time of an unannounced inspection in April 2025. Ten regulations were inspected, nine of which were non compliant and one (staffing) was compliant.
The risks to one resident were so serious that an urgent compliance plan was given to management on the day after the inspection.
The HSE says it is working to address all issues raised in the report, published today.
Failings were identified in the governance and management of Ballytrim House, which the inspector said created significant risks to residents, impacted on their quality of life and their human rights.
“Inspectors were not assured that residents were kept safe in this centre,” said the report, neither was it clear that the residents’ health, social and personal care needs had been adequately assessed.
The provider was directed to move one resident to a new padded bedroom within two weeks in order to meet their needs. At the time of inspection, another resident was living in that area who did not require those supports.
Inspectors also noted that there were areas within the centre that required improvement. One resident’s bathroom had damage to the walls. Inspectors noted broken covers on radiators in one resident’s bedroom. Staff reported that some of the sensory equipment was damaged and needed to be replaced.
The centre was not compliant in the area of training and staff development. All staff had up-to-date training in safeguarding. However, staff had not received training in all areas that were required to support residents to meet their needs.
“Six of twenty-four staff required refresher training in supporting residents to manage behaviour that is challenging,” said the report.
The HSE has welcomed the publication of the HIQA report at Ballytrim House and has released a statement to reassure the public that the safety and wellbeing of patients remains its highest priority.
“The HSE is actively working to implement all the recommendations outlined in the report to ensure full compliance with the regulations,” a spokesperson said.
They confirmed that the Person in Charge has implemented several measures, including staff training, resident relocation, and a review of risk management, premises, and safeguarding procedures.
“The HSE remains committed to ensuring high-quality services are delivered and maintained at Ballytrim House designated centre,” the spokesperson added.
Donegal care facility fails nine out of ten quality and safety regulations was last modified: August 7th, 2025 by Staff Writer
Tags: