§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps the National Care Standards Commission will take if a care home is failing to comply with National Minimum Standard 18; [45631]
(2) how he plans to measure the compliance of care homes on National Minimum Standard 18 of the Care Standards Act 2000. [45643]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 26 March 2002]: It will be for the National Care Standards Commission to decide in the particular circumstances of each individual home whether the home conforms to the standards necessary to meet the assessed needs of its residents.
Where a care home fails to comply with one or more standards the Commission will have a number of options as to what action to take. The Commission's decision will depend on the degree to which the home fails to meet the standards and the risk to the welfare of the residents. The Commission could impose requirements on the care home to make improvements in a given time scale and monitor the home to ensure that this is done. Standard 18 of the national minimum standards for care homes for older people concerns abuse. In the case of abuse by an individual member of staff the Commission could insist on his or her removal as a person unfit to work with vulnerable adults. As now, if the welfare of the residents was at serious risk, the Commission will have the power to close the care home.