Bill to improve Welsh care home inspections

Good work is being carried out to improve social care and safeguard vulnerable people in Wales’ care homes, but a new law to be introduced next year will strengthen the system even further, outgoing Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas said.

During a visit to a care home in Aberavon, the Deputy Minister said that the new Regulation and Inspection Bill, which will be introduced in the National Assembly in early 2015, will strengthen the protection of people and further improve the quality of care and support available in Wales.

The New Bill will introduce:

•     New emphasis on the accountability of the service provider and the responsible individual;
•     A new service-model of regulation to ensure no service escapes the regulatory regime;
•     Powers to further professionalise the workforce through protecting titles, reserving functions and regulating training;
•     Requirements for standardised, published annual reports from providers;
•     Continuation of the targeted approach to workforce regulation with powers to add new groups as required;
•     Establishment of a new National Institute of Care and Support to lead regulation of the workforce and social care improvement;
•     Implementation of a set of Law Commission recommendations to improve the consistency of workforce regulation;
•     New powerful duties on regulators to share information when necessary;
•     New powers to issue quality judgements and rankings on service quality.

Ms Thomas, who has announced she will be stepping down from her post, said: “I was pleased to visit Swn y Mor to see for myself their exceptional approach to providing and catering for people who have individual needs and preferences. I was particular impressed to see the broad activity programme they have for residents.

“Swn y Mor is a good home, providing very high standards of care. CSSIW play a vital role in regulating and inspecting our care homes, ensuring they provide the very best levels of care we all expect.

“Regulation of social care has been a success story in Wales – it has delivered real benefits for those who rely on our care homes and social care services but we are not complacent. Our new approach is a strong, robust policy that builds on this success to ensure the safeguarding of all people with a care and support need and the promotion of well-being.

“Next year, we will be introducing the Regulation and Inspection Bill before the National Assembly to improve the system even further. Regulation and inspection will be built around people’s well-being and the outcomes people want.

“Citizens will be put at the heart of the new regulatory regime, the protection of citizens will be strengthened and the quality of care and support delivered in Wales will be further improved. Our new Bill has been developed in line with the changes made to the foundation of social services through our Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act, and recognising the lessons learnt from serious incidents such as Southern Cross, Mid Staffs, Winterbourne and other cases.

“That’s why we need to ensure our regulation regime reflects modern practice and the ever changing world of social care. I’m confident the changes we are making will deliver that.”

Imelda Richardson, Chief Inspector of CSSIW said: “We have improved the way we work over recent years and have changed from an inspectorate that focuses on processes to an inspectorate that focuses on people and drives up improvement.

“Inspections are unannounced, including evening and weekends; inspectors are better equipped with tools such as SOFI (Short Observational Framework for Inspection) and we have a National Advisory Board which represents 50% of citizens to advise us and help shape our work.

“The new Bill will help further strengthen our work and provide the people of Wales with an even more responsive regulation and inspection programme to ensure they receive the best quality care they deserve.”