What now for deprivations of liberty?
What will the effect of the postponement of the Liberty Protections Safeguards be on local authorities? Local Government Lawyer asked 50 adult social care lawyers for their views on the potential consequences.
SPOTLIGHT |
The Government has put more than 500 health and social care regulations under the microscope as part of its latest ‘Red Tape Challenge’.
Ministers have also separately called for businesses to comment on how enforcement of the rules governing adult care homes can be improved.
The Health Living and Social Care Red Tape Challenge, which will last six weeks, covers more than 500 regulations relating to:
“We want to identify which of these regulations should be scrapped or improved to boost growth and jobs and give health professionals more time to care for patients, without weakening necessary public health safeguards,” the Government said.
Public Health Minister Anna Soubry said: “This challenge will give the public, healthcare workers and clinicians a vital opportunity to let us know how we can improve the way we regulate or how we can do things differently, whilst ensuring the public is protected.
“We will use the feedback they give us to plan how to get rid of requirements that are no longer needed, freeing up business from unnecessary red tape and giving health professionals more time to care for patients.”
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has meanwhile launched a Focus on Enforcement review for the adult care homes sector. It will consider all regulatory activity undertaken by national regulators and local authorities.
DBIS said: “It [the review] will focus solely on the way regulation is delivered, not on underlying legislation, and will look in particular at the following areas:
The Department called for input from those who work in the sector as well as from operators of homes.
Business Minister Michael Fallon said: “People deserve high quality, safe care. Enforcing regulation more effectively will allow providers to focus on better protecting residents.
“People working in the care homes sector are well placed to tell us where the system is working, and where confusing or contradictory requirements are getting in the way. But we are also keen to hear from everyone with an interest who has evidence of how enforcement can be improved.”