Government asks care home staff for suggestions to improve standards of care

Care homes are invited to inform the government how enforcement of regulation can be improved during a six week consultation.

‘Focus on Enforcement’ is an initiative to remove the bureaucracy that diverts carers from meeting the needs of their residents and enable care home providers to achieve the highest standards of care.

Staff who run or work in adult care homes are asked for suggestions to make improvements and also suggest how regulators can better help providers comply with the law.

They are invited to highlight examples where regulation works well, enabling good practice to be replicated across the care home sector.

Business Minister Michael Fallon is urging care home workers with an interest to submit their ideas for improvement to the ‘Focus on Enforcement’ website.

He said: “People deserve high quality, safe care. Enforcing regulation more effectively will allow providers to focus on better protecting residents.

“People working in the care homes sector are well placed to tell us where the system is working, and where confusing or contradictory requirements are getting in the way. But we are also keen to hear from everyone with an interest who has evidence of how enforcement can be improved.

“This review aims to inform the way in which regulation is delivered; it is not looking at the underlying legislation.

“I’m also keen to hear where really good enforcement is working well in the sector so we can ensure useful lessons are learned. This is an opportunity for care providers of all sizes to make a real difference to the way regulators inspect and advise them and enforce the law.”

The review will take into consideration regulatory activity undertaken by national regulators and local councils.

It will focus solely on the way regulation is delivered, not on underlying legislation, and will look in particular at the following areas:

• The extent of overlaps, gaps and coordination between different regulatory regimes affecting care homes.

• The extent to which compliance and enforcement activity in care homes is: proportionate to the risks it seeks to mitigate; consistent; transparent; and accountable.

• The requirements placed on providers by the commissioners of care services, and how these link to other regulatory requirements.

• Whether providers are being subjected to unnecessary pressures and costs by third parties.

The Department of Health is also launching the Healthy Living and Social Care theme of Red Tape Challenge as well as the ‘Focus on Enforcement’ review.

The Challenge invites the public, business, healthcare professionals, and the voluntary and community sector to give their views, comments and ideas on which regulations should stay, be improved, or be scrapped altogether across the health and social care sectors.

For more information and to add your opinion to the ‘Focus on Enforcement’ review, visit www.discuss.bis.gov.uk/focusonenforcement.