Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress she has made on implementing the recommendations of Baroness Hollins' report entitled Independent Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews: final report, published on 8 November 2023.

Work is underway to implement recommendations in Baroness Hollins’ final report and to improve outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic people through reducing use of restrictive practices.

The HOPE(S) training programme, which aims to embed good practice across inpatient services and reduce the use of long-term segregation and restrictive practices, is in place, currently piloted until 2024, and will be independently evaluated.

The programme of independent reviews will continue, now led by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), to preserve regulatory oversight and support people to less restrictive settings and discharge to the community. CQC are finalising their methodology, quality, and governance processes.

Progress is also being made on proposals to make changes to the CQC regulations, which would be subject to Parliamentary approval, to improve reporting and notifications by providers to CQC on use of restrictive practices.

Additionally, NHS England’s Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme was established in 2022 and aims to make improvements in quality and safety, so that patients experience good and meaningful care. This programme is backed by £36 million investment over three years.