'Special measures' inspections for care homes risk becoming a fruitless exercise

Queries have been raised about the fairness of the new expert led hospital style inspection for all care homes and home care services announced last week by Health Secretary Jeremey Hunt.

The Registered Nursing Home Association (RNHA) has called for Mr Hunt to provide reassurance the proposal will be both ‘workable and fair’ to care homes, warning a lack of detail in the plans could provide more problems for the care sector than it could solve.

Under plans announced last week the CQC will be able to place failing care homes into ‘special measures’, before being given a set period of time to make improvements before risking closure.

RNHA chief executive officer Frank Ursell said: “We welcome any constructive steps aimed at helping care homes to deliver high quality services to their residents. But Mr Hunt’s proposals lack vital detail and it is therefore uncertain whether they could sensibly be applied to care homes.

“If the Government’s aim is to help care homes that are judged inadequate in terms of meeting essential standards, it will need to ensure that those homes remain financially viable during the period when key improvements are being made. Otherwise, the whole process will become a fruitless exercise.” The proposals were inspired by the success of a series of ‘special measures’ style inspections for 11 failing hospital trusts which saw the majority make overall improvements. At the time of the announcement, Mr Hunt said: “We have shown the special measures process works and care turn around poor-performing hospitals and we can do the same for adult social care.”

Andrea Sutcliffe, the Care Quality Commission’s chief inspector of Adult Social Care, said: “I am clear that abuse, neglect and poor care will not be tolerated. We need to shine a spotlight on this poor practice and make sure that services improve. If they do not, they will have to face the consequences.”

The RNHA has warned if a ‘special measures’ judgement for a care home causes local authorities stop purchasing places for older people, the care home is at risk of being put out of business without being given a fair opportunity to make significant improvements.

Mr Ursell said: “We should also like to hear about the kind of support that would be given to care homes that are put into special measures. As we understand it, NHS hospitals in this situation are given a great deal of help. How will that happen with care homes, who will provide the assistance and for how long? All these questions need answering by Mr Hunt before his proposal can be seen as credible.

“Finally, we hope that it won’t be a case of one rule for the NHS and another for care homes. For example, we read that four hospitals in special measures have still not improved enough to be taken out of those measures. None has been closed. May we presume that care homes will be given at least the same time and flexibility to achieve improvements before they are forced to close? Again, this is very unclear.”

The RNHA did welcome the Health Secretary’s move to introduce a ratings system for all care services and Mr Ursell said: “We have been calling for the reintroduction of a care home ratings system for some time and are pleased that it is now happening at last. A good ratings system helps care providers to evaluate how well they are performing against the general standards of their sector. It also helps potential residents and their families to decide which care home to choose.”