HL Deb 21 October 2004 vol 665 cc34-6WS
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Community (Dr Stephen Ladyman) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement today.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) was established in October 2001 to help to raise the standard of social care services by developing and promoting knowledge about good practice in social care. It is a not-for-profit company and a registered charity. It is funded primarily by the Department of Health by way of a grant.

The department proposes to help to deliver further improvements across social care and health services through a dedicated care services improvement partnership which would be part of SCIE. The department is currently exploring this with SCIE's trustees, who have broadly welcomed the proposal, and is working up details of how these arrangements can be achieved. This partnership would draw together seven existing initiatives, listed at the conclusion of this Statement, into a single coherent framework through which local organisations in England can be helped to provide better services for people and communities with a range of care and support needs. It is proposed that most of this support will be delivered through eight regional centres based on the existing regional development centres operated by the National Institute of Mental Health in England.

SCIE is presently consulting on behalf of the department on the improvement of services to adults. I intend to present a Green Paper to this House following that consultation detailing my plans for service improvement. The creation of the care services improvement partnership will support the delivery of the objectives within the Green Paper.

The arrangement is subject to final approval by SCIE's board of trustees and to the Charity Commission being content with the changes that this will mean for SCIE.

From tomorrow the department and SCIE will be consulting a wide range of groups and organisations across the statutory, voluntary and private sectors, including those which involve service users and carers, about the proposed partnership and how it could be developed.

It is proposed to include within the new partnership the following existing initiatives:

  • Modernisation Agency change for children team;
  • Health and social care change agent team;
  • Integrated care network;
  • Integrating community equipment services team;
  • National Child and Adolescent Mental Health Support Service;
  • National Institute for Mental Health in England;
  • Valuing people support team.

The Welsh Assembly Government are considering the implications of these developments for their relationship with SCIE.