Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve safeguards for people with neurological conditions in care homes.

The Government makes clear, in statutory guidance of the Care Act 2014, that local authorities must ensure services they commission are safe, effective and of high quality. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) assesses how well local authorities are meeting their Care Act duties in relation to safeguarding and have a duty to inform my Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if it considers an authority is failing to discharge its functions.

Regulated providers also have a key role in safeguarding adults. Care homes must ensure that they have appropriate systems and processes in place to prevent, and protect people from, abuse and improper treatment. They must also have, and effectively operate, systems and processes to investigate and promptly act upon any allegation or evidence of abuse.

Where anyone alleges poor care, neglect or abuse, we expect those providing the service, local authorities and the CQC to take swift action.