HC Deb 26 November 1992 vol 214 cc791-2W
Mr. William O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residential care homes for fewer than four people are registered in Northern Ireland, in each of the health and social services boards areas.

Mr.Hanley:

None

Mr. William O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional money will be included in the Northern Ireland budget provisions to provide for the additional key workers to be employed to ensure that the terms of the new Registered Homes (Northern Ireland) Order are fulfilled; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanley

From 1 April 1993 the health and social services boards will, like, local authorities in England and Wales, employ "key workers" as part of their care management responsibilities. These arrangements will apply whether the client is living independently at home or in a residential care or nursing home setting, with the costs being met by the boards out of their community care budgets, which are being considerably enhanced from the 1993–94 financial year.

Neither the draft Registered Homes (Northern Ireland) Order nor the draft regulations to be made under that order contain provisions which require the employment of additional key workers by voluntary and private sector homes.

Mr. William O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to whom the people to be employed at the proposed arm's-length unit for the inspection of registered homes in Northern Ireland will be responsible; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanley

Registration and inspection units were established in 1991 under the community care reforms Responsibility for their organisation and management and for ensuring their independence from operational management lies with the area general manager of each health and social services board who is, in turn, directly accountable to his board for the functions and performance of the unit.

Each board has also established an advisory committee to provide a link between its registration and inspection unit and the public interest which it serves. Membership of the advisory committees is intended to reflect the scope of the units' activities and is drawn from the groups of service providers—such as private sector residential care or nursing home proprietors—with whom the units work.