Lyndsey Telford reported that the delivery of care at a supported living facility in west Belfast has raised “serious concerns” according to Northern Ireland’s health watchdog. This same facility – The Mews, was previously under scrutiny by the parents of one of its service users, as mentioned in an interview with BBC News NI. The Cedar Foundation, the organization responsible for running the service, admitted to areas where compliance had not been fully met, following the findings by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) of several failings that compromised the quality of life for service users.
An unannounced inspection conducted by the RQIA at The Mews over a three-day period in February and March revealed that the service was not consistently implementing a supported living model of care. The RQIA found deficits in promoting independence, choice, and person-centered care, which undermined the core principles of supported living and ultimately affected the quality of life for service users. The watchdog issued two “failure-to-comply” notices to the facility and set a deadline in June for addressing the concerns. In addition, they sought to impose a condition preventing The Mews from admitting any new service users without prior agreement.
Mark and Marjorie Sharp, whose daughter Laura had been living at The Mews for seven years, welcomed the RQIA’s decision to take enforcement action against the facility. They expressed their dismay at the lack of quality of life for Laura and believed she had been neglected, resembling more of a detained patient rather than someone supported to live independently. Cedar Foundation responded that many within their supported living service had positive experiences, but acknowledged that individual needs may surpass the scope of supported living, highlighted by the RQIA’s findings.
In response to the situation, Mr. Sharp stated that the facility was “not fit for purpose,” while Mrs. Sharp emphasized Laura’s decline in wellbeing at the facility, expressing that the system had failed her daughter. Both Cedar Foundation and the Belfast Trust, which commissioned Cedar to provide Laura’s care, expressed their commitment to addressing the concerns raised by the RQIA. The trust acknowledged the distress caused to Laura and her family and pledged to work towards finding the best outcome for her. Despite Cedar’s decision to evict Laura due to their inability to provide the required care and support, Mr. and Mrs. Sharp denied any claims of abusive behavior and reiterated that they had always acted in their daughter’s best interests
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