We are often asked about the qualifications required to be a person in charge of a designated centre for people with disabilities and about qualifications of staff working in these centres.
Such questions have come up during provider-forum meetings where HIQA meets with disability service providers, and providers and members of the public have asked us about this directly.
The relevant regulations say that the post of person in charge shall be full-time and that the person shall have the qualifications, skills and experience necessary to manage the designated centre, taking into consideration the size of the designated centre, the statement of purpose, and the number and needs of the residents.
As and from 1 November 2016, any person in charge appointed to the role of person in charge (as opposed to those already in the role when the regulations were enacted) must have “a minimum of three years’ experience in a management or supervisory role in the area of health or social care and an appropriate qualification in health or social care management at an appropriate level”.
However, the regulations do not specify a specific qualification type. HIQA inspectors ask the provider to demonstrate how they have met the requirements of the regulations and to demonstrate that the person in charge has a management qualification at an appropriate level, relevant to the service. Inspectors may ask to see evidence of that qualification.
Finbarr Colfer, our Deputy Chief Inspector of Social Services, comments: “Providers are responsible for ensuring that the person they are appointing to the role of person in charge has the qualifications, skills and experience required to properly manage the centre and to ensure the optimal outcome for residents.
“Similarly, the regulations are not prescriptive in relation to the qualification that other staff, such as care assistants, should have when working in designated residential centres for people with a disability — the provider is responsible for ensuring that they have the required qualifications and skill-mix appropriate to meet the support and care needs of residents.”
When inspectors visit a centre, they look for evidence that staff have the required knowledge, skills and experience to enable them to meet the assessed needs of the residents. However, while it is usual to see staff working in a designated centre for people with disabilities having a qualification such as QQI/FETAC level 5 award, this is not a requirement of the regulations.
To assist providers and people interested in working as a person in charge of a designated centres, HIQA has produced a guidance document on the regulation around the role of the person in charge. Meanwhile, the work of our disabilities team in 2017 is included our new Overview of HIQA regulation of social care and healthcare services 2017, which can be accessed here.