§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to require the Commission for Social Care Inspection to provide an advocacy and support service to self-funding residents in their contract negotiations with private care homes; and if he will make a statement. [120306]
§ Dr. LadymanI have no plans to require the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) to provide an advocacy and support service to self-funding residents in their contract negotiations with private care homes. The functions planned for the CSCI include verifying that appropriate protection is provided for all care home residents, including self-funders. Such protection should include care homes facilitating access to available advocacy services where residents lack capacity; written contracts between self funded residents and their home and care homes having clear and simple complaints procedures.
§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that the Commission for Social Care Inspection should have a duty to consult and involve service users in its work at both the local and national levels. [120392]
§ Dr. LadymanClause 86 of the Health and Social Care Bill and section 31 of the Care Standards Act make provision to allow the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) to interview service users who are accommodated within the premises being inspected. The CSCI may use this opportunity to consult service users on the services they are receiving.
In addition, we anticipate that CSCI will adopt a service user centred approach and will, as the Social Services Inspectorate and the National Care Standards Council have done, include the consultation of service users within its methodologies for review and investigation.