Welsh standards bodies to merge

The body that regulates Welsh social care providers and the organisation that inspects the country’s social services are to merge, the Welsh assembly government announced last week.
 
It said the Social Services Inspectorate Wales, which inspects councils, and regulator the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales will be brought together from April 2007, with the appointment of a chief inspector to run both.

The integration will be phased in from April, leaving Wales with a similar system to England, where the Commission for Social Care Inspection undertakes both roles.

An assembly government spokesperson said: “The new inspectorate will provide a stronger, integrated view of social services and care – from strategy through to delivery.”

The Welsh Local Government Association welcomed the proposal, contained in the assembly government’s response to the Beecham review of public services.

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