The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s National Prevention Mechanism (NPM) visited three group homes housing adults with developmental disabilities in the municipality of Drammen in November 2020. The group homes were of varying sizes, with the residents requiring different types of assistance and support.
The visits were conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic and adapted to comply with the infection control regulations in force at the time. Our visits included a brief inspection of one of the group homes, video and telephone interviews and document reviews.
People with developmental disabilities who reside in a group home have the same basic rights, as other people. They have the right to make decisions and maintain control over their own lives. Insofar as possible, the services offered at a group home are to be established in collaboration with the individual residents. Norwegian law does not have a special provision for the confinement of people with a development disability, but even so, in practice they may be subjected to extensive limitations. Many are also dependent on their living arrangements being facilitated to be able to live an unconfined and a good quality life. As such, persons with developmental disabilities are vulnerable to having their basic rights violated.