DH launches online social care comparison tool

A new online tool to help people search and compare local social care providers, has been launched by the Department of Health.

The move follows the recent launch of the ‘Caring for our future White Paper’, which called for better information and support services for individuals making choices for their care.

Users of the online service are expected to have access to Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports for each registered home care, residential or nursing home provider.

Providers will also be able to include key information about themselves including photographs of rooms, pictures of staff along with short biographies, plus information on services such as visiting arrangements, pets and visiting clergy.

And Provider Quality Profile’s (PQP) will be used to present feedback from the general public to the providers so they can both “benchmark” their performance and improve training for staff where necessary.

It is hoped providers will improve their profiles by adding flags to recognised schemes they have adopted, including; My Home Life, Dementia Care and Support and NICE social care standards.