Silence greets reports of merger

Downing Street has confirmed plans to cut bureaucracy in the public
sector but remained silent over whether these include the merger of
the Commission for Social Care Inspection and Healthcare
Commission.

Reports last week suggested that the government was planning to
merge 13 inspectorates, including the two commissions, into
four.

Under the rumoured proposals, Ofsted would also merge with the
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education to form a Children’s
and Education Inspectorate.

Earlier this year, the CSCI and the General Social Care Council
survived a review of arm’s length bodies by the Department of
Health.

CSCI chief executive David Behan said: “The review made it clear
that the CSCI should not be merged.”