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February 2014
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no.213 • £4.75
The Number One magazine for the care sector
CQC confirms more integral DoLS checks By Dominic Musgrave CHECKS on implementation of the Mental Capacity Act will become a routine part of hospital and care home inspection, the CQC has confirmed. In its fourth annual report into the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, the regulator says the checks will become an integral part of its new approach to regulation, as it implements its strategy ‘Raising standards, putting people first’. CQC chief executive David Behan said the strategy underlines the inspectorate’s commitment to strengthening its focus on the MCA, which includes the DoLS He added: “We expect more focus on reducing the restraint and restriction of vulnerable people lacking capacity. “We want to ensure people who are unable to consent to treatment because they lack capacity receive high quality care as a fundamental part of health and care services. While there has been an increase in the use of DoLS there is still much more that needs to be done to ensure people are appropriately cared for. This year, CQC is strengthening its approach to monitoring this legislation and we will be working more closely with
local authorities to support them in their roles as supervisory bodies.’ The report into how the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards have been applied during 2012/13 cites concern that the MCA is still not understood and implemented consistently across health and social care services. Findings include: People in care homes and hospitals may continue to be subject to restraint and possible deprivation of liberty without legal protection. People’s experiences of the DoLS are mixed – our case studies show how the system can work well for people. There has been a significant increase in the number of applications for the use of DoLS to protect the rights of people aged over 85. Application rates continue to vary by region – but the reasons for this are unknown. Around two thirds of care homes and hospitals are failing to notify CQC of the outcome of DoLS applications as required by law. The report also recommends that NHS England should include an expectation on the effective use of the DoLS into the standard contract for providers.
Care staff dance on TV with Diversity
Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, officially opened a new £9.1million care home in Bearsden, which has created 120 jobs. The 81-bed Antonine House is the most recent to be opened by Meallmore, one of Scotland’s leading providers of nursing and residential care. It forms part of their wider investment plans in new high quality care homes and refurbishments, which will see a further £30m being invested over the next five years. A key feature of the home are several reminiscence areas where staff are able to explore older people’s past and present lives with them.
MEMBERS of staff at Wellburn House care home have played a starring role in the Sky 1 series ‘Ashley Banjo’s Big Town Dance’. Manager Lisa Stephenson and senior care staff Heidi Riddle and Lesley Cushley took part in the show, which sees Ashley Banjo, leader of the Britain’s Got Talent winning dance troupe Diversity, aiming to get the North East town dancing again. Following successful auditions, Lisa and her colleagues were allocated parts in the ‘Public Services Crew’, which has 30 dancers whose day jobs range from a vicar to a bus driver. The series follows members of the different dance crews as they rehearse with Ashley and Diversity, preparing for the finale of a big community dance in Stockton town centre. Lisa said: “It was a real pleasure meeting Ashley Banjo and Diversity, and training with the boys and the rest of the ‘Public Services Crew’ was great.”