Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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341. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the development of national standards for home care and support services, as recommended by the HIQA report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5609/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The HIQA paper on the regulation of homecare services published in December 2021 makes a valuable contribution to the development of the new statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support. It will further inform progress on the Sláintecare programme, which aims to support people to live in their own homes with dignity and independence, for as long as possible.

Work is ongoing to progress the development of the new home support scheme within the broader context of the ongoing reform of our health and social care system, as envisaged in the Sláintecare Report. The scheme will provide equitable access to high-quality services based on a person’s assessed care-needs.

This work encompasses the development of the regulatory framework for the new scheme; the examination of the options for the financing model for the scheme; and the development of a reformed model of service-delivery for home-support services. With the aim of ensuring that all service-users are provided with a standard, high-quality level of care which is safe, effective, and person-centred, it is envisaged that the regulatory framework will comprise: (i) primary legislation for the licensing of public and private home-support providers; (ii) minimum requirements (i.e., regulations); and (iii) HIQA National Standards for Home Support Services.

In April 2021, Government gave approval to draft a General Scheme and Heads of a Bill to establish a licensing framework for home-support providers. This is being progressed by the Department with a view of bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity. It is expected that the primary legislation will give the Minister for Health the power to make regulations in respect of minimum requirements which will form the criteria against which a provider’s eligibility to hold a licence will be determined. A regulatory impact analysis is being currently undertaken to ensure effectiveness and mitigate risks.

The aim is to ensure that service-users are safe-guarded and protected, and a responsive, person-centred, quality-driven home-support service is provided. This is central to the Sláintecare objective of providing ‘right care, in the right place at the right time’. The regulations being drawn up by the Department and the standards being drafted by HIQA both take cognisance of the diverse and often complex needs of those who require homecare and support.

In collaboration with HIQA and in consultation with the Health Service Executive and other key informants, the Department developed draft regulations and a targeted stakeholder consultation was undertaken in January 2022. This was followed by a 7-week public consultation which was completed in August 2022 and the analysis of the results by the IPH was recently published:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/56ab1-draft-regulations-for-providers-of-home-support-services-an-overview-of-the-findings-of-the-department-of-healths-public-consultation/

HIQA has extensive experience in the regulation of social care services and has conducted wide-ranging research into the regulation of home-support services. HIQA ran a public scoping consultation in September 2021 to inform the development of National Standards for Home Support Services. HIQA convened an Advisory Group, with representation from the Department of Health, to assist in the process of developing the Draft National Standards.

Last year, HIQA conducted an evidence review on home support which was published on May 30th 2022. HIQA have also developed standards for home care and home support services which will be the focus of a public consultation early this year.