Care homes watchdog to work with council to improve care for the elderly

A CARE HOME inspector is to start work at Notts County Council next week in a bid to improve the quality of care being given to the elderly.

The authority is spending £49,000 to pay for a compliance manager from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to work in its offices for a year, starting on Monday .

As part of the deal the CQC will also pay for a quality development officer from the council’s Adult Social Care, Health and Public Protection department to become one of its inspector for 12 months.

Council officers say the agreement follows discussions with the CQC about strengthening their working relationship.

But others have questioned why the move, which was approved by the council’s Adult Social Care and Health Committee yesterday, has come about.

Councillor Alan Rhodes, leader of the council’s opposition Labour group and a member of the committee, supported the decision but questioned why it was happening now.

Mr Rhodes said: “Is it a coincidence that we have seen, and are continuing to see, failing standards in private sector care homes in the county, and does it reflect on the quality of resources in the county council to carry out inspections?

“Does it acknowledge or reflect any perceived crisis in care provision in the county?”

In recent months a number of privately-run care homes in Notts have been found to not meet CQC standards and Mr Rhodes questioned whether there were fears about the council’s own homes.

He made reference to a report before councillors which outlined the reasoning behind the move.

It said: “The purpose of the secondment is to share knowledge and expertise about care standards and market development, with a specific focus on improving quality of care provided in a small number of care homes and home care agencies that have historically not been able to maintain high levels of good care provision.

“The compliance manager will be given the role of co-ordinating a programme of work which looks at how the relevant statutory agencies, including health partners, can work with the local providers to ensure a vibrant and sustainable social care market across Notts.”

Councillor Stuart Wallace, committee vice-chairman, refuted Mr Rhodes suggestion that the deal was as a result of CQC concerns over standards.

He said: “The quality provided by homes in the county is excellent.

“There are some cases where it doesn’t meet the standards that are required, but we have a very rigorous system on checking in homes and taking action to suspend and work with homes that do not make the standards.

“Let us not get carried away and start rumours that we have a crisis in the county.

“This deal is a way of improving what we do.”

The compliance manager usually leads a team of CQC inspectors. The county council will pay for the post by using Government NHS Support to Social Care funding.

A CQC spokesman said: “The purpose is to share our understanding of what makes good quality care and of what needs to be done to keep standards high.”

The council’s quality development officer will be given unpaid leave to take up the CQC secondment.

The authority says it will find a temporary replacement for the role in the meantime.

Labour councillor Chris Winterton said: “I welcome this as a fundamental step which I believe should be applied across the country in this field of work.”