Department of Health to disband CSIP

The Department of Health is to dismantle arms-length agency the Care Services Improvement Partnership, Community Care has learned.

A letter to stakeholders from Glen Mason, the DH’s director of social care, leadership and performance, revealed that from 1 December CSIP programmes will become the direct responsibility of DH officials or regional strategic health authorities.

CSIP was set up in 2005 with a budget of £39m to support the delivery of DH social care and health policy, and comprising seven programmes including the National Institute for Mental Health in England (Nihme).

Since then it has undergone a number of changes and now contains four programmes, delivered regionally: Nihme; social care, including support for the personalisation agenda; children and families, and health and social care in the criminal justice system.

CSIP’s social care work will now fall to national DH policy directors or deputy directors for social care and partnerships, appointed to lead the DH’s adult care work in each region.

Mason, whose letter paid tribute to CSIP staff, said there would be an “urgent review” of CSIP’s mental health work, which will report later in the autumn. The children’s programme will come under the auspices of SHAs, while the DH is still deciding on the offender programme.

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