| Abstract: | This paper reports on research funded by the Nuffield Foundationexploring the role of lay assessors in the care home inspectionprocess in England and Wales. Lay people have been includedin many care home inspections for the past decade. Similar layinvolvement is included in other public service inspectionssuch as the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) inspectionsof schools. The Board of the short-lived National Care StandardsCommission (NCSC) controversially decided to dispense with suchlay involvement in the inspection process. The replacement body,the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), intends toinclude lay people in the inspections of support services inthe community but is hesitating about reintroducing them intocare home inspections. This research project was able to explorethe role taken by lay assessors in thirteen inspections of carehomes for older people and for adults with learning disabilities.The research concluded that lay assessors had a significantrole in communicating with residents and staff and observingcare home life. Their role was particularly important, as inspectorswere often so involved in paperwork and checking policy compliancewith the national minimum standards that they were often ableto spend little, if any, time talking to residents or staff.It is argued that there is considerable potential for a strengthenedrole of lay people in the care home inspection process. |
