Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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524. To ask the Minister for Health his views that the appropriate training and qualifications are being adhered to by private and voluntary organisations who provide services under the Care of the Elderly service provision; if he will outline the standards that apply when a person is providing care in the home, in a day centre or in an institution; if he will outline the monitoring that takes place to ensure that no abuse or low standards of service provision are being missed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28891/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Under the Health Act 2007, statutory responsibility is given to the Chief Inspector of Social Services, part of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), for the independent inspection and registration of all nursing homes, private and public. This responsibility is underpinned by a comprehensive regulatory framework and the National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland.

All nursing homes are subject to the same core standards and regulations in relation to quality and safety in order to ensure the well-being of their residents. Standard 24 requires that “Staff receive induction and continued professional development and appropriate supervision”. The underlying criteria require that

- “All newly recruited care staff and those in post less than one year commence training to FETAC Level 5 or equivalent within two years of taking up employment. - - Long standing care staff have their competency and skills assessed to determine their need for further training and suitable arrangements are put in place to meet their identified needs”.

In relation to home care, the HSE, as part of the home care tender process introduced written standards of care in 2012. These standards covered such areas as:

- principles of service delivery

- confidentiality

- complaints procedure

- protection of service user

- consent policy

- governance and management

- workforce recruitment, training, staff development and supervision.

The purpose of these measures is to promote quality and safety and to provide a more standardised approach to service provision nationally.

The standards apply to all external providers, private and voluntary, who have been approved to provide home care funded through the Home Care Package Scheme. Each Local Health Office area monitors the service providers approved under this process to ensure that the standards are being adhered to. Audits are completed and quarterly reports are requested and reviewed. Supporting this is the ongoing monitoring and review carried out by healthcare professionals such as public health nurses.

HIQA introduced the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare in June 2012. These standards set out the key principles of quality and safety that apply to all healthcare services provided or funded by the HSE.

Building on both the residential care standards and Better Safer Healthcare, the HSE has developed draft National Quality Guidelines for Home Help Services. These guidelines are currently the subject of negotiations between the HSE and the relevant union under the auspices of the Labour Court.

Home Help Services, as well as services provided as part of a Home Care Package are reviewed regularly by HSE personnel to ensure that clients care needs are being met. In addition, the HSE complaints procedures are available to all service users where services are funded through the HSE. Complaints are monitored as an indicator of quality of care provided and to ensure that clients needs are supported.