Introduction
The landscape for home support services in Ireland is undergoing a significant transformation with the Government’s recent approval of the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025. This new legislation aims to set a higher bar for the quality, safety, and consistency of care delivered to individuals in their homes.
For providers, adapting to these changes is both a challenge and an opportunity. Cloda is committed to supporting organisations through this transition, with innovative solutions like Cloda and a strong focus on developing and maintaining best practice policies and procedures.
Background: The New Regulatory Framework
On 9 December 2025, the Cabinet welcomed the publication of the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025. This Bill amends the Health Act of 2007, introducing for the first time a statutory registration framework for all home support providers in Ireland.
Under the proposed framework, all professional home support providers will need to meet minimum requirements set out in regulations and adhere to national quality standards developed by HIQA. Failure to register — or to comply with the standards — will be an offence.
This marks a significant shift — for the first time, Ireland will have statutory regulation of home support. According to the Department of Health, the move is intended to “safeguard service users, raise the quality and consistency of care nationally” and deliver on the long‑standing commitment to a statutory home‑care scheme.
What the Bill Means for Home Support Providers
The new legislation brings a range of requirements for home support providers. Registration with HIQA becomes mandatory, and providers must meet minimum standards and comply with ongoing monitoring and assessment. Unregistered providers will no longer be permitted to operate, and HIQA will have increased powers to monitor compliance. These changes are designed to ensure that all service users receive high-quality care, regardless of where or by whom it is delivered. Providers will need robust systems in place to track compliance, update policies, and evidence their adherence to regulations.
The Importance of Best Practice Policies and Procedures
As the regulatory landscape tightens, the need for clear, current, and accessible policies and procedures has never been greater.
As per Schedule 2 of the Draft Regulations for Providers of Home Support Services, key areas include:
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults – to protect service users from abuse or neglect.
- Medication Administration Support – ensuring safe, accurate, and appropriate support with medicines.
- Infection Prevention and Control – critical for reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections.
- Responsive Behaviour Management – supporting staff in addressing behaviours that challenge in a respectful, safe manner.
- Lone Worker Policy – promoting safety and accountability for staff working independently in service users’ homes.
- Falls Prevention and Moving and Handling – essential for protecting both service users and staff from injury.
- Complaints and Consent – supporting service user rights, autonomy, and transparency.
- Staff Recruitment and Training – ensuring that only qualified, competent individuals deliver care, with ongoing development.
- Risk Management and Emergency Response – equipping services to anticipate and respond to incidents effectively.
These policies are critical tools to help providers deliver safe, person-centred care, align with Regulations and National Standards, and demonstrate compliance during inspections.
For providers, the challenge is not only having these policies — but ensuring they are current, well-communicated, implemented, and auditable.
How Cloda Supports Providers in Meeting Compliance Expectations
As home support providers adapt to the requirements of the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025, digital systems like Cloda can play a transformative role in streamlining compliance, supporting staff, and embedding best practice across your service.
- Best Practice Procedures: Cloda, the AI digital assistant comes with over 40+ evidence-based policies and procedures tailored specifically for home support — including all those listed in Schedule 2 of the Draft Regulations for Providers of Home Support Services.
- Just Ask Cloda: Staff can ask Cloda about any care process and she will provide the answers they need directly from your best practice procedures.
- Multilingual Support: Staff can ask Cloda questions in their own language, and she replies in their language.
- Comprehension of Procedures: Cloda offers comprehension quizzes before staff acknowledge policies, helping to ensure understanding, reinforce learning, and strengthen accountability.
- Streamline Training Management: The integrated Training Room allows managers to assign, track, and monitor staff training requirements — streamlining training compliance.
- Microlearning Resources: Your Best Practice Policies and Procedures can be converted into podcast enabling staff to learn on the go, perfect for mobile home support teams.
- Demonstratable compliance: Every interaction — from policy updates to staff acknowledgments — is logged digitally. This creates a clear, auditable trail that simplifies compliance reporting for inspections, audits, and regulatory reviews.
With Cloda embedded in your service, you can confidently meet the new regulatory expectations while supporting staff with the tools they need to deliver high-quality, consistent care — every day.
Empowering Staff in the Community
Home support workers often operate in dynamic, community-based settings where quick access to information is critical. Cloda’s mobile-enhanced platform puts essential resources in the hands of staff wherever they are, whether at a client’s home or on the move.
This ensures that best practice guidance is always available, reducing uncertainty and enabling staff to deliver safe, high-quality care. By supporting frontline workers with up-to-date information, Cloda helps providers bridge the gap between policy and practice.
Driving Continuous Improvement with Real-Time Insights
One of Cloda’s key strengths is its ability to provide real-time data insights into policy engagement, training and compliance trends. Managers can quickly identify areas where additional training or support may be needed, ensuring that standards are consistently met. This data-driven approach enables organisations to respond proactively to regulatory requirements and to demonstrate their commitment to quality improvement during inspections or audits.
Partnering for Success in a Changing Environment
Navigating new regulations can be complex, but providers do not have to do it alone. Cloda partners with organisations to develop, implement, and embed best practice policies and procedures that meet evolving standards.
Our team works closely with clients to ensure their policy frameworks are robust, practical, and aligned with the latest regulatory guidance. Cloda enhances this partnership by making compliance tools accessible, actionable, and easy to use for all staff.
Conclusion
The introduction of the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 signals a new era for home support care in Ireland. By embracing digital compliance solutions like Cloda and prioritising best practice policies and procedures, home support providers can meet regulatory requirements with confidence and deliver consistently high-quality care.
To see how Cloda can help your organisation adapt to these changes, request a demo by contacting info@cloda.ai or call 01 629 2559.
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