On 8 September 2015, a group of officials from the Ombudsperson's Office conducted a working visit to Orhei boarding house for children (boys) with mental disabilities for multidimensional and objective examination of the situation of the beneficiaries from this institution.

The team of monitors, consisting of the head of Child Protection Service Tatiana Crestenco and consultants from the Investigation and Monitoring Service Gheorghe Bosii, Elena Draghici and Iurie Dubenco, discussed with the employees of the institution, visited the rooms of the institution, reviewed the medical records and other documentations.  Members of the monitoring team did not discuss with the institution beneficiaries as the Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family restricted the access of the Ombudsperson's Institution representatives in the groups, arguing that the visit was not coordinated with MLSPF.

The monitoring team found out that according to its Regulation, Orhei boarding house for children with mental disabilities is a social institution that provides temporary placement to children with mental disabilities aged from 4 to 18 years old. De facto, children are placed in this institution starting with the age of 7 and after reaching the age of majority the beneficiaries remain in the institution. As of the visit date, only 63 residents were under 18 years of age and 150 beneficiaries were aged between 18 and 39 years.

Considering that adults of 39 years are living in the social institution that shall provide placement for children under 18 years, we may conclude that the requirement that the boarding house shall perform ”regularly the reassessment of the established protection measure” stays on paper only.

The institution’s staffing table does not include any psychologist, educational psychologist, teacher, although the institution aims to provide psycho-pedagogical and socio-medical support to children.

We cannot talk about a psycho-social and medical rehabilitation in the situation where the psychiatrist is employed part-time and works only 25% of the standard time, the paediatrician works 50% of the standard time, the neurologist function is vacant and the positions of psychologist, educational psychologist and teacher are not included in the staffing table.

The plenty of video spots on the quality of services provided by this institution that appeared in various media sources between 2010 and 2015 and the number of petitions and self-initiatives registered at the secretariat of the Centre for Human Rights of Moldova, reveal that the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family failed to ensure the proper operation of the institution as provided in p. 4 of the Regulation of the Boarding House for Children with Mental Disabilities.

Another problem is staff turnover caused mainly by the low salaries.  For example, nannies have a monthly salary of MDL 1080.  Employees are not motivated financially.

The Office officials found that due to the mismanagement, the lack of qualified personnel and the staff turnover, the institution does not achieve its objectives and legal provisions related to children's rights observance are not complied with.

Following the visit, the monitoring team came up with the following recommendations:

1. Review the Regulation of the Boarding House for Children with Mental Disabilities and adjust it to the legal provisions in force;
2. Harmonize the staffing table of employees from boarding houses for children with mental disabilities in accordance with the institution’s objectives;
3. Reassess the staff working at Orhei boarding house for children with mental disabilities;
4. Reassess the placement of beneficiaries and take prompt measures to deinstitutionalize the residents, especially the adults, from the Orhei boarding house for children with mental disabilities;
5. Psycho-psychiatric examination of beneficiaries from Orhei boarding house for children with mental disabilities to infirm/confirm negligent and abusive actions of employees against beneficiaries;
   1. Set quality standards for the care, education and socialization of the children from the boarding house for children with mental disabilities;
   2. Develop and implement a Plan on financial/non-financial motivation of employees from boarding houses for children with mental disabilities;
   3. Establish a collaboration with Orhei Education Department to ensure ongoing training of educators from boarding houses and provide didactic degrees;
   4. Develop and approve an educational program for children from this institution, taking into account the peculiarities of their intellectual development in order to avoid the violation of Article 35 of the Constitution of Republic of Moldova;
   5. Take measures to improve interpersonal relationships between the employees of Orhei boarding house.

The monitors’ report on their visit was submitted on the request of Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Liliana Palihovici.

  Electronic version of the preliminary Report