Platt bemoans lack of time for reforms

The Commission for Social Care Inspection should have had longer to complete its reform programme for the sector according to its chair.

Denise Platt said the proposed dismantling of the inspectorate over the next two years had prevented it taking forward a number of initiatives.

She cited its Experts by Experience scheme that involves service users in adult inspections, which has not been applied to children’s services because of the transfer of CSCI’s children’s function to Ofsted next year.

In 2008, its adults’ function will be merged with the Healthcare Commission.

Platt said: “I think we should have been allowed to get further down the road before we were dismantled.”

She also said the separation of the inspection of children’s and adult services would create inconsistency and hamper efforts to look at issues that crossed the boundary.