Written question asked by Lord Ashley of Stoke (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Darzi of Denham (Labour) on Wednesday, 20 May 2009.

Social Care: Inspectors

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what kind of training is required of social care inspectors.

Answer: The regulation of adult social care is now the responsibility of the new independent regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which took over from the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Act Commission on 1 April 2009. The training of inspectors is the responsibility of the CQC. The commission has advised that for a person to be recruited as a social care inspector, the CQC requires that a social work qualification be held (for example a Diploma in Social Work) or that they are a registered nurse (level 1 minimum). However, the commission may also recruit candidates with other qualifications such as an occupational therapy or a teaching qualification to the role of the inspector, if they have relevant experience. The commission is committed to providing experienced and well-trained staff and as such delivers an extensive programme to its inspectors on its Inspecting for Better Lives methodology, its systems and equality and diversity issues.

Secondary information