Critiquing the involvement of service users in standard development and monitoring/inspection.
This project is about exploring how people with disabilities and older and young people requiring aged care services have been involved within statutory inspections of residential services. A review of literature, as well as consulting with government officials and consumers who have been involved in the process create the basis of the study.
The specific purposes are :
• To explore the use of service users in regulatory inspections of disability services, as well as aged care.
• To identify the challenges for an inspectorate of such involvement.
• To set out a model or method which would best meet these challenges.
• To ensure that such a process enables the voice of the consumer to be heard.
• To investigate if involving consumers in the monitoring/ inspection process adds value to the outcomes.
• To recommend a protocol for the involvement of consumers within the statutory inspection function of residential services for young people and persons with a disability as well as aged care.
Four stages of the project:
1) Desktop literature review of the inclusion of service users in regulatory inspection that will cover a range of disabilities as well as aged care and youth services.
2) Consultation with international stakeholders who have been involved with the development of protocols that include consumers within statutory inspection as well as other forms of monitoring and evaluation
3) Consultation with stakeholders of statutory inspection within Ireland
4) Development of a model for inclusion of consumers within statutory inspection
Current Status
The data collected in the countries visited and in the consultation with Irish stake holders on the three first phase of the project is currently being analysed. The report based on the analysis is being prepared which will compare how users of care have been involved within evaluation and / or inspection of residential care across Europe.
The final will outline and strategy for the development of a user involvement approach in the Republic of Ireland. These reports are due to be submitted to the HIQA by the end of November 2009.
Members of the project steering committee meeting with residents and staff of Stephanus Stiftus, a service provider in Berlin, Germany.
A member of the research team meeting with staff and service users from Voices from Care, in Cardiff, Wales.
Project co-ordinator Minerva Rivas meets with Jenneke van Veen, Chief Inspector of the Dutch Health Inspectorate, May 2009.