§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the required criteria are for a complaint about a care home to be investigated; and if he will make a statement. [166914]
§ Dr. LadymanRegulations made under the Care Standards Act 2000, require care homes to have arrangements for dealing with complaints made by, or on behalf of, those seeking or receiving any of the services provided by that establishment or agency. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is responsible for ensuring that establishments and agencies set-up and maintain comprehensive, effective and robust procedures and communicate these to people using the service and the public.
All care homes in England are regulated (registered and inspected) by the CSCI in accordance with statutory regulations and national minimum standards. Anyone who has concerns about a care home can raise these with the CSCI. The CSCI will decide what appropriate action to take in response to information received. The CSCI also has discretionary powers to investigate formal complaints but will only do this where it would inform its role as regulator.
If a resident's care is commissioned by the local authority, complaints can also be made through the statutory social services complaints procedure. If the local authority has serious concerns, it could decide not to commission services from a particular care home.