CSCI Responds To Consultation On New Care Super-Regulator

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), the regulator for social care in England, has today responded to the Government’s consultation document, “The future regulation of health and adult social care in England”.

Dame Denise Platt, Chair of the Commission, said: “This document is an important statement of the way in which the Government sees the evolution of social care and health regulation. In our response today we have pointed out that the proposed new ‘super-regulator’ will have a very broad sweep of functions, including inspecting and assessing the quality of over 30,000 care and health services – these services employ 2.9 million people across the public, private and voluntary sectors.

“It is critical that the range of social care functions of the new organisation is not diminished and that the new regulator continues to put the needs of people who use such services at the heart of everything it does. We therefore strongly welcome the proposal that CSCI’s current range of functions and sector-wide view of adult social care carry forward into the new regulator.

“In addition, we are pleased to note the proposal that the new regulator should provide an independent assessment of the quality of commissioning. Strong and effective commissioning in social care and health will secure high quality services for the benefit of people who use services, and we know that information that enables people to compare services is a powerful lever for improvement.

“CSCI also welcomes the recognition that there are significant differences between social care and health care. The regulatory approach to each sector needs to reflect the particular features and characteristics of that sector. CSCI supports a coherent – rather than a uniform – regulatory system across health and social care.”