HIQA Report Highlights

Orwell Healthcare is pleased to share the latest HIQA inspection report for Orwell Private, following an unannounced inspection carried out on 11th and 12th May 2026. The report highlights many positive aspects of life in the centre and recognises the dedication of our team in delivering compassionate, person-centred care to residents every day.

Residents who spoke with inspectors described Orwell Private as a lovely place to live, while inspectors observed many kind and respectful interactions between staff and residents throughout the inspection. Residents also spoke positively about the caring relationships they have built with staff and the support they receive.

Supporting Residents to Live Well

The inspection found that residents enjoy a welcoming and comfortable environment, with access to beautiful gardens, courtyards and outdoor spaces throughout the home. Inspectors noted that the centre was clean, well maintained and provided a range of communal spaces for residents to relax, socialise and spend time with family and friends.

Residents also benefit from a vibrant programme of activities designed to support wellbeing, independence and social connection. Activities available include music, reminiscence therapy, aromatherapy, gardening, therapeutic cooking, fitness programmes, games and regular outings. During the inspection, residents were looking forward to a planned visit to Rathfarnham Castle.

Dining and Care

Dining remains an important part of daily life at Orwell Private, and residents spoke highly of the quality and choice of meals available, describing the food as “excellent”. Inspectors observed appetising meals being served and noted that residents could choose where they wished to dine, either in communal dining areas or in the comfort of their own bedrooms.

The report also highlighted that residents have timely access to healthcare professionals when required, with specialist recommendations implemented to support individual needs. Care plans are regularly reviewed to ensure residents receive personalised care that reflects their preferences and supports their wellbeing.

Skilled and Dedicated Team

The report recognised the commitment of our staff team and the positive relationships that exist throughout the centre. Residents described staff as knowledgeable, caring and supportive, while inspectors found high levels of compliance in key areas such as safeguarding, manual handling, falls prevention and residents’ rights.

Inspectors also found that residents are supported by staff who know them well and understand their individual needs, helping to create a caring and person-centred environment.

Continuous Improvement

As part of HIQA’s comprehensive inspection process, a number of opportunities for further improvement were identified. Orwell Healthcare welcomes this feedback and has already implemented a detailed action plan to strengthen staffing arrangements, enhance clinical supervision, further develop governance systems and continue to build on existing quality assurance processes.

Actions already underway include the recruitment of additional nursing staff, enhanced night-time clinical oversight, increased staff mentoring and supervision, strengthened auditing systems and ongoing quality improvement initiatives across the service. These measures build on the many strengths identified during the inspection and further support the delivery of safe, high-quality care for residents.

Our Commitment to Residents

At Orwell Healthcare, we are committed to creating an environment where residents feel safe, respected and truly at home. We are proud of the positive feedback shared by residents and families and remain dedicated to continuously improving our services to ensure the highest standards of care, comfort and quality of life for everyone who lives at Orwell Private.

The full HIQA inspection report is available to view on our website, on the HIQA website, or as a printed copy available at reception.

Orwell Healthcare is proud to announce that we have been named a finalist in the Best Use of Technology category at the Private Healthcare Awards 2026. This recognition highlights our innovative use of AI-powered technology to strengthen policy compliance, staff learning, and ultimately support safer, higher-quality care for our residents.

The nomination celebrates our successful implementation of Cloda, an AI-powered quality management and compliance platform that has transformed how our teams access, understand, and apply best practice policies and procedures across our services.

Using Technology to Support Better Care

At Orwell Healthcare, we continually look for innovative ways to support our staff and improve outcomes for residents. As one of Ireland’s leading private care providers, we recognise that high-quality care depends on a knowledgeable, confident workforce with easy access to the information they need.

Traditionally, healthcare providers have relied on staff acknowledging that they have read policies and procedures. However, opening a document does not necessarily demonstrate understanding. Our goal was to move beyond simple policy acknowledgements and create a system that provides meaningful evidence that procedures are understood and can be applied in practice.

Introducing Cloda’s AI-Powered Policy Management System

To achieve this, Orwell Healthcare implemented Cloda, a specialist platform designed for health and social care organisations. The system provides a centralised, searchable policy library that enables staff to quickly access up-to-date procedures whenever they need them.

One of the platform’s most valuable features is its AI assistant, which allows staff to ask questions about policies and procedures and receive instant answers sourced directly from Orwell Healthcare’s approved documents.

This has been particularly beneficial for our diverse workforce. Staff can ask questions in their preferred language and receive guidance based on the same approved policies, helping to improve understanding and consistency across the organisation. The platform has been used in 11 different languages, supporting greater accessibility and inclusion.

Strengthening Compliance Through Understanding

A key innovation in our approach has been replacing traditional policy sign-off processes with comprehension-based learning. For 28 mandatory policies covering areas such as safeguarding, medication management and fire safety, staff complete a short knowledge assessment before acknowledgement is recorded.

This approach ensures policies are not simply opened and signed. Instead, staff actively engage with the content and demonstrate understanding, helping to strengthen governance, quality assurance and resident safety.

The results have been significant. Since implementation:

More than 4,800 policy comprehension quizzes have been completed.
Staff have asked over 2,400 questions through the AI assistant.
More than 129 hours have been saved by reducing time spent searching for information.
The AI assistant has achieved a 75.1% adoption rate among active users.
Staff have accessed the platform in 11 different languages.

These efficiencies allow more time to be focused on what matters most: delivering person-centred care to residents.

Supporting Staff to Deliver Exceptional Care

Diana Rose, Director of Care, explains:

“We’ve always invested in our staff because we know that confident, knowledgeable carers deliver better care. Cloda has made a real difference by giving staff instant answers from our own approved procedures. Cloda saves valuable time that can be redirected back to resident care, while also giving us much stronger assurance that policies are not simply acknowledged, but genuinely understood and applied in practice.”

Anitha Mani, Practice Development Nurse, added:

“Since implementing Cloda, staff have consistently said how user-friendly Cloda is. They especially love being able to ask Cloda questions on our policies and get instant answers. The ability to ask questions in their native language has also been a huge benefit and really supports understanding of our procedures.”

Looking Ahead

Being recognised as a finalist at the Private Healthcare Awards 2026 is a testament to our commitment to innovation, continuous improvement and excellence in care.

As we continue our digital transformation journey, we are exploring further opportunities to enhance learning, compliance and workforce development through technology, ensuring our staff are equipped with the knowledge and support they need to provide exceptional care for every resident.

We are honoured to be shortlisted and would like to thank our dedicated staff, whose commitment to learning and delivering high-quality care makes achievements like this possible.

Find out more here.

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