Commission will stand up for rights of service users, says Platt

The new Commission for Social Care Inspection aims to reward and
promote good practice, but will not shrink from using tough
enforcement powers to stamp out bad practice.

Denise Platt, shadow chairperson of the new organisation, warned
that the CSCI would make full use of its wider remit to boost
standards and to question how appropriate services were for
clients’ needs.

Platt said the new commission, which launches in shadow form in
January and starts work next April, subject to the passage of the
Health and Social Care Bill now before parliament, would “stand up
for the rights of the people who use social care”.

She also wanted the CSCI to inform politicians about what policies
are working on the ground.

She confirmed that a new business relationship manager would
undertake councils’ performance assessments and co-ordinate their
inspection and audit programmes.

A business relationship manager would also act as a link between
national providers in the private or voluntary sector and the
commission, especially where they were expanding their
services.

She said that the CSCI would also work with other inspectorates,
particularly Ofsted in developing a framework for children’s
services.