Systemic Issues Identified in One of Yerevan's Orphanages: Ombudsman's Office Details

On November 28, 2023, representatives of the Human Rights Defender's Office conducted an unannounced monitoring visit to the state non-commercial organization "Mari Izmirlian Orphanage" under the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. It was reported that the living quarters, sanitary and communal facilities, provision of care, medical assistance, food organization, and the status of workers' and children's rights and fundamental freedoms were examined, along with documents assessing their compliance with established requirements and applicable standards.

The visit revealed positive changes regarding issues previously raised during an unannounced monitoring visit. These improvements primarily relate to the implementation of screening programs, provision of medical assistance and services, organization of staff work, improvement of sanitary and hygienic conditions, and methodologies for assessing children's needs among other areas.

Notably, the management of the institution has generally been consistent in documenting instances of violence among children and against them, as evidenced by entries in the relevant registry.

“While assessing the efforts of the institution's staff to provide care for individuals with disabilities, the Defender considers several systemic issues to be pertinent. Specifically:

• The insufficient space allocated to the institution has resulted in non-compliance with standards for living area requirements, with beds being either connected or placed very close together; in some instances, children from the institution have to pass through bedrooms allocated to other groups to access certain rooms; relaxation rooms are, in some cases, not separated from sleeping quarters.
• Children’s narrow personal needs and self-care opportunities (personal hygiene) are not adequately ensured in separate conditions. For example, the showers and toilets are only separated by partition walls, and in some cases, there are no partition walls at all. The windows of the toilets generally lacked curtains. Instances of malfunctioning window treatments have also been recorded in one of the bedrooms.
• The isolation room did not meet the requirements of an isolation section.
• At the time of the visit, the building conditions were partially adapted to the needs of individuals with disabilities. For example, the toilets were not accessible.
• Persons with disabilities aged 18 and older continued to receive care at the institution, which contradicts both the state policy on ensuring, promoting, and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and the institution's statutes.
• There was a shortage of personnel resources. The number of employees at the institution was insufficient compared to the number of children receiving care, which was more evident in the context of providing palliative care and assistance. Due to inadequate legal regulations, the care of 14 children after 6:00 PM was managed by one caretaker, which led to issues related to food provision and personal hygiene.
• Despite training conducted by the competent authority, there remains a need for the state to organize specialized training.
• No log was maintained for the use of physical restraint or isolation methods or sedation techniques.
• According to the observations of representatives from the Human Rights Defender's Office, the institution's management, and sector professionals, education for home-schooled students is generally formal, failing to meet their educational needs and development opportunities. One reason is the absence of educational standards and programs tailored to the actual needs of the students.
• Despite the specific methodologies employed by staff in working with children, there remains a pressing need for the state to develop and implement guidelines, supporting materials, and professional manuals for such activities.

The abovementioned and other noted issues have been discussed by representatives of the Defender's Office with the management of the institution,” the statement reads. It was reported that these issues will be summarized, and a document reflecting them, along with proposals for addressing the identified issues, will be submitted to the relevant state authority.