Ms Carol Grogan:

I might just come in on the registered beds. So far this year, we have registered four new nursing homes which has resulted in an increase of 274 beds. We now have 31,948 as of yesterday. That is at least some of the beds coming back to be available for older people if they wish to move into residential care. On what might prompt an inspection, for Oberstown we are mandated to carry out one inspection in a year. In Oberstown over the last years they have worked quite hard to look at the systems and processes they have in place to reduce incidents.

In other areas, I do not receive a notification in respect of staff who may be injured. We get notifications about residents who may be injured and of course that would prompt a follow-up. When we are out on inspection, we review the risk management regulation, which would then identify if there are occupational-type injuries. The Health and Safety Authority would definitely have a role in respect of the follow-up of providers regarding occupational injuries. We would look at it in terms of the processes and systems in place, if there were appropriate assessments and supports in place for the residents or children in the services to deal with behaviour that may be challenging. It is a well-known fact that behaviour that challenges is really a communication of a need that the person has. Therefore appropriate assessment, systems and a care plan or personal plan should be in place for those people. We will look at it and identify it on inspection. Providers might contact us to tell us that they have a difficulty with staff. I have a good relationship with the vast majority of providers so they would let us know if there was something going on in their home.