§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care home beds were available in(a) the public sector and (b) the independent sector in each year since 1997.[130209]
§ Dr. LadymanThe latest information available on the number of care home places available in the public sector and the independent sector is shown in the table for 1997 to 2001. Figures for later years have been collected by the National Care Standards Commission; it plans to publish them this autumn.
Number of care home places by type of home, England 1997 to 2001 Rounded numbers As at 31 March Total all homes1 Local authority staffed Independent1,2 1997 534,410 65,820 468,590 1998 553,490 63,980 489,510 1999 546,190 59,030 487,160 2000 539,240 55,460 483,780 2001 528,000 50,860 477,150 1Includes dual registered homes.
2Includes voluntary, private and small residential homes, all nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics.
Source:
RA form A and RH(N) 1998–2001 (K036 1997).
§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) domiciliary care agency employees, (b) nursing agency employees and (c) care home owners and managers have been convicted of an offence against an elderly resident in a care home in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [130660]
§ Dr. Ladyman[holding answer 17 September 2003]: The Department does not hold information on the number of domiciliary care agency employees, nursing agency employees and care home owners or managers who have been convicted of an offence against older residents in care homes.
Under the Care Standards Act 2000, rigorous checks are required on providers, managers and staff of care establishments and agencies, to ensure their suitability to work with vulnerable people and protect these people from neglect or abuse. Regulations made under the Act included requirements for staff to undergo criminal record checks through the Criminal Records Bureau.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Department has for further regulation of the long-term care sector.[130841]
§ Dr. LadymanWe announced on 9 September that certain regulations would be amended from 1 October 2003, requiring Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for new domiciliary care staff or nurses agency staff.
The regulations will require existing domiciliary care staff to complete their enhanced CRB checks by 31 October 2004.
1269WRegulations to require checks for existing nursing staff will be introduced once the CRB has made good progress with completing the checks on existing domiciliary and existing care home staff.
We are proposing to regulate adult placement schemes rather than adult placement carers. We will be consulting later this year on our proposals.
This Government has made it clear in the past that the care homes regulations would be continuously monitored and it has always been our intention that these regulations would be reviewed by April 2005.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking in conjunction with the Department for Work and Pensions to reduce the number of job vacancies within the care home sector;[130842]
(2) what plans the Department has to assist care homes in (a) maintaining staffing levels and (b) undertaking Criminal Records Bureau checks prior to employment.[130843]
§ Dr. LadymanThe Department is aiming to reduce 'vacancy rates and encourage new entrants into the workforce through a national social care recruitment campaign. The campaign is raising awareness of the social care work force and there will be further media and television advertising in January 2004.
The Department is working closely with Job Centre Plus to raise awareness of the diversity of roles within social care and the training available. Job Centre Plus is represented on the Department's stakeholder group, which has responsibility for the recruitment campaign and wider social care workforce issues.
To meet the regulatory requirements on appropriate staffing levels and skill mix in care homes, providers must take into account the assessed needs of their residents. They must also ensure that staff are of integrity and good character by carrying out a number of rigorous pre-employment checks including a Criminal Record Bureau (CR B) check.
The National Care Standards Commission, as the independent regulator has stated clearly that it will continue to exercise its powers wisely and where CRB clearances are not in place will continue to apply its discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case-by-case basis.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into(a) the cost of temporary agency nurses and care assistants for the care home sector in comparison with the cost of direct employment and (b) the consequences for the care homes sector of any difference in cost.[130844]
§ Dr. LadymanThe Department has not commissioned research into the costs of temporary agency nurses and care assistants for the care home sector.
Staffing levels are a matter for care home providers. To meet the regulatory requirements on staffing levels and skill mix in care homes, providers take into account the assessed needs of their residents and recruit accordingly. Providers are required to ensure that all their staff are of integrity and good character by 1270W carrying out a number of rigorous pre-employment checks including a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check.
The National Care Standards Commission as the independent regulator has the responsibility to ensure care homes meet all their statutory requirements. They have stated clearly that they will continue to exercise their powers wisely and where CRB clearances are not in place will apply their discretion on the use of their enforcement powers on a case by case basis.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received from care home owners concerning the impact of the reintroduction of the requirement for new staff to have a Criminal Records Bureau check; and what response he has made.[130924]
§ Dr. Ladyman[holding answer 18 September 2003]: The Department has received 40 letters from right hon. and hon. Members and three letters from care homes' umbrella organisations about the withdrawal of the National Care Standards Commission's (NCSC) interim guidance. Officials have discussed the issue with organisations representing care homes. Since 1 April 2002, all new staff in care homes have been required to obtain a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check as part of their pre-employment checks. However, initial difficulties experienced by the CRB in dealing with the level of demand for checks led to delays. In response to this, in June 2003, the NCSC issued interim guidance on how to deal with recruitment of care home staff while steps were taken to improve the CRB's performance.
Following significant improvements made at the CRB the NCSC rightly decided to look again at its guidance. However, I should emphasise that the NCSC has stated that it will continue to exercise its powers wisely and, where CRB clearances are not in place, will continue to apply its discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case by case basis.
§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reasons why the National Care Standards Commission has decided to enforce the regulations empowering Criminal Records Bureau checks on new staff working in the long term care sector as from 1 October 2003; on what basis the period of time given to phase in this change was selected; and what assessment he has made of the impact the introduction of checks will have on care homes.[129841]
§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what study his Department has conducted concerning the practical implications for the private care homes sector of the planned enforcement from 1 October 2003 of regulations requiring staff working in care homes to have a Criminal Records Bureau check completed before starting work; and if he will make a statement.[129513]
§ Dr. Ladyman[holding answer 15 September 2003]: From 1 April 2002, when the Care Homes Regulations came into force, care home providers have been required to undertake a number of pre-employment checks, including a Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), before new staff can take up their position.
1271WFollowing significant improvements made at the CRB since last summer, the CRB is now processing 90 per cent. of applications within four weeks. The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) rightly decided to look again at its guidance because there will now be fewer circumstances in which it will need to make allowance for delayed checks.
As the independent regulator, the NCSC has the responsibility to ensure care homes meet all their statutory requirements. It has stated clearly that it will continue to exercise its powers wisely and where CRB clearances are not in place, it will apply their discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case-by-case basis.
The NCSC issued a press release on 22 September 2003 setting out its approach to CRB checks for care home staff. A copy is available on the NCSC's website at: www.carestandards.org.uk