§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to seek to amend the Registered Homes Act 1984, so as to increase the number of inspections of such homes.
§ Mr. WhitneyI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 28 January at column487 and that to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Spencer) on 29 April at column 383. An interim report on the two-year study by the Social Services Inspectorate dealing with the systems that local authorities are devising to implement the legislation has just been sent to directors of social services to assist them in the continuing development of registration work. A copy of the report is in the Library. There will be a further report by the inspectorate around the turn of the year. This will consider the impact of the changes on the quality of care provided 548W in the homes themselves. This will include an examination of the standards being set locally by authorities and the degree to which the legislation is being implemented in ways that seek to develop constructive partnerships between statutory, voluntary and private sectors of residential care.
Meanwhile the inspectorate will be organising a programme of workshops for registration and inspection staff and their managers.