HIQA CEO Phelim Quinn recently spoke on the concept of responsibility at the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies’ national conference on safeguarding vulnerable people.
In his speech, Phelim called on the Government to introduce, as a priority, adult safeguarding laws to protect the most vulnerable in our society from abuse or exploitation.
He also pressed for a review of the Health Act 2007 to ensure that regulation keeps pace with the growing nature and diversity of services being provided to vulnerable people.
All vulnerable people in our society, including the homeless, prisoners, migrants and asylum seekers in direct provision, have the right to high-quality, safe health and social care services, he said.
“HIQA does not yet have a legal mandate to engage in these services, yet we firmly believe that all vulnerable people in our society have a right to access high-quality and safe health and social care services. The continued absence of assurance in respect of the rights and needs of these vulnerable groups has the potential to create new hidden populations in our country,” he said.
Phelim also outlined that in the disability sector, the slow roll out of true community-based and integrated care is propagating the idea that people with a disability in State care — or cared for by an organisation stemming from charitable or philanthropic backgrounds — “are being looked after ‘well enough’.”
He continued: “In fact, I believe that this approach perpetuates a situation whereby vulnerable groups are hidden away from society without true regard for their rights as citizens. This view is borne out by the outcomes of a number of our published inspection reports of disability services.”
Phelim outlined his view that no one State agency can achieve the required safeguards on its own. “Momentum is gathering amongst interested parties that will enable us all to make a collective contribution to the concept of zero tolerance. However, others still need convincing.”
Read Phelim’s full speech here.