On
August 27, 2025, the representatives of the Human Rights Defender’s Office of
the Republic of Armenia conducted an unannounced monitoring visit to the
“Kharberd Specialized Children’s home” SNCO of the Ministry of Labor and Social
Affairs of the Republic of Armenia (hereinafter referred to as the
Institution).
During
the visit, the representatives examined the building and sanitary-hygienic
conditions of the Institution, issues related to care, medical assistance, and
food provision, the relations between the staff and beneficiaries of the
Institution, the state of protection of their rights and interests, as well as
the documents and their compliance with established requirements and applicable
standards.
It is
noteworthy that the problems recorded in the Institution are mainly systemic.
The management and staff of the Institution are generally staff consistent in
issues related to ensuring the rights of children receiving care and children
are mainly involved in various entertainment and cultural events.
Assessing
the efforts made to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities, it is
necessary to refer the following systemic issues.
Specifically:
• According to the information provided, in 2025
the process of transferring beneficiaries to the Institution continued. During
2025, no child residing in the Institution was transferred to a foster family,
and any child was not returned to the family. Individuals with disabilities
over the age of 18 continue to receive care in the Institution, despite the
fact that its infrastructure was originally designed to provide care to
children. The process of transferring two beneficiaries to a Small Group Home
has been initiated.
• Due to the insufficient area allocated to the
Institution, the requirements for the residential area standards were not met,
which resulted in a problem related to the age- and gender-based distribution
of beneficiaries, beds were connected to each other or placed very close to
each other in the bedrooms, there was no opportunity for beneficiaries to
independently satisfy their narrow personal needs (personal hygiene) in
separate conditions, there was a shortage of lavatories and bathrooms, in some
cases there was no partition between showers and toilets, etc.
• The physical environment of the institution
did not comply with the principles of universal design, there was a need to
ensure reasonable accommodations.
• There was a need to conduct an appropriate
assessment for the provision of palliative medical care and services to
beneficiaries in the institution.
• The number of employees in the Institution was
disproportionately low compared to the number of beneficiaries receiving care,
there was a non-professional workload of employees. The Institution required
staffing with a multidisciplinary team.
• Despite the trainings organized by the
competent body, the need for the state to organize narrow professional
trainings, and other similar measures, remains relevant.
The
mentioned and other recorded problems were discussed with the management of the
Institution by the representatives of the Human Rights Defender's Office.
The
problems will be summarized, and a document reflecting them, along with
recommendations aimed at their resolution, will be submitted to the competent
authorities in the field.
The
Human Rights Defender, as an official monitoring the implementation of the
provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD), specifically emphasizes the need for the state to take
active steps towards the deinstitutionalization of institutions for the
round-the-clock care of persons with disabilities, to implement structural
reforms, and to adopt a systematic approach.
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