Which UK-wide bodies that provide scrutiny of care-home operations does the Welsh Government work with?
The regulation of social care services is a devolved matter. Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) is the independent regulator of social care and childcare in Wales. In carrying out its functions, CIW liaises and shares intelligence regarding care providers, where appropriate, with the, the Care Quality Commission in England, the Scottish Care Inspectorate (CIS), the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland and Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted).
Additionally, Social Care Wales is the workforce regulator for the social care professions and manager of the register of Care Home Managers and Adult Social Care workers. Local authorities and health boards as the commissioners of the services provided in care homes, also monitor the operations of care homes as part of their contract management processes.
‘Special measures’ are not applied to care homes in Wales. Care home services are commissioned separately or in partnership by local authorities and health boards or by individuals who self-fund their placements. The Escalating Concerns With, and Closures of Care Homes Providing Services for Adults is statutory guidance which sets out local authorities’, local health boards’ and NHS Trusts’ responsibilities where there are accumulating issues relating to the operation of, or quality of care provided. A care home service can be placed in ‘escalating concerns’ to remediate these issues. Local authorities collate data on care homes that are in the escalating concerns process.
Currently CIW regulates 1377 care home services. Forty five of those are currently subject to enforcement action under CIW’s Securing Improvement and Enforcement guidance and pathway.