Government ramps up care home inspection regime
All Scottish care homes will in future get at least one unannounced inspection a year, under new plans to toughen up the inspection system in the wake of several incidents intimating that the existing inspection regime is not up to scratch.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon's announcement in this regard came following the deaths of two former residents at an Edinburgh care home and the collapse of the care home provider Southern Cross.
Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish parliament that proper resources would be put in place to fund the changes and that the increased scrutiny would go some way to ensuring that standards are maintained between inspections.
The Health Secretary also announced that inspectors will be able to increase the number and frequency of visits where they have concerns about particular homes.
The changes come about as a result of the deaths of two former older residents of the Elsie Inglis care home in Edinburgh, which prompted a police investigation and the home's closure.
Ms Sturgeon said care services in Scotland are generally "of a good quality" and the inspection regime "robust", but added that it was clear that there are aspects of it that are worth further consideration.
She said: "That is why I have announced a strengthening of the regulation and inspection regime and work to provide protection against the challenges presented by circumstances such as the failure of Southern Cross."
The future of some 3,000 Southern Cross residents in Scotland was thrown into uncertainty following the collapse of what was the UK's largest care home operator back in July.
Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish government is continuing to work with the company as well as landlords and council umbrella body CoSLA, to ensure a proper transfer of Southern Cross homes to new operators.
The minister also announced that henceforth, Social Care and Social Work Inspection Scotland, the body responsible for care home inspection, will be known as the Care Inspectorate.
In a media release, SCSWIS, which changed its name from the Care Commission in April this year, said it is modifying its name because it is widely disliked by stakeholders, staff and the public and is not understood by the people using its services, or their carers and relatives. The body said that since the involvement of people using or choosing services, carers, health and social care staff and the public is vital to the success of its work, it needs a name that explains what it does, one that can be understood by everyone.
