A Clare centre for disabilities has been reprimanded for failing to provide a clear rationale for operating monitoring cameras in children’s bedrooms at night-time.
It’s just one of the findings of the Health Information and Quality Authority’s first inspection of Enable Ireland’s Hazeldene facility since its opening in July of 2025.
HIQA visited the Hazeldene respite service for children and young people with autism spectrum disorder or with an intellectual disability on January 12th of this year.
During the unannounced inspection, two children were present.
Inspectors noted that children were provided with a “good service from a committed team of staff” and that the house had been “extensively renovated, refurbished and re-designed” to meet residents’ needs.
It was observed that both service users were enjoying being in eachother’s company and that staff prioritised their welfare and quality of life.
Despite this, the report states that improvements were required in areas like staff training records, staff rosters, complaints management and oversight of restrictive practices.
The inspection found that rosters could be enhanced to provide assurances around mandatory staff training and that the facility’s complaints procedure could be strengthened.
Additionally, inspectors noted that monitoring cameras were used for some children in bedrooms at night-time and that management had failed to manage their use in line with national policy.
It was found that there was no documentation in place to provide a clear rationale for this, risk assessments weren’t completed and no protocols were in place for their use.
Ultimately, the facility was found to be non-compliant in two areas, substantially compliant in six and fully compliant in just two.
Enable Ireland has submitted a comprehensive compliance plan explaining how the issues identified will be remedied.
