People's Republic of China seek out Scotland's care expertise

Scotland’s Care Inspectorate, which regulates and inspects all care services, has welcomed 12 delegates from China as part of a research programme.

The delegates from the Ministry of Civil Affairs visited the regulator’s Dundee HQ, where representatives briefed them on the methods employed to safeguard high standards of care and respond to poor ones throughout Scotland.

Deputy chief executive, Karen Anderson, was pleased to be able to share expertise with the researchers, saying: “Everyone has the right to good quality care which meets their needs and respects their rights, and we believe this is true no matter where you live.

“China, Scotland and many other countries share similar challenges as we face up to the need to provide good quality care to increasing numbers of older people in the best possible way.

“Regulation and inspection are crucial tools as we seek to improve the care journey for people using services, and we were delighted to share our knowledge and experience of best practice with our guests to support their development of high quality care.”

Ms Anderson gave an introduction to the watchdog’s work, while director of inspection Robert Peat also spoke on the regulator’s approach to inspecting care homes.

Ageing populations are not just a Western phenomenon and, being the country with the world’s largest population, the Chinese researchers were keen to learn how Scotland’s regulators have approached the ever-developing challenges of the care sector.