HIV Infection: Home Care Services

(asked on 19th April 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Terrence Higgins trust report on supporting the over 50's living with HIV, published in January 2017, what steps he is taking to address HIV-related discrimination to such people in social care settings; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
 Portrait
David Mowat
This question was answered on 26th April 2017

Discrimination has no place in the provision of social services.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. All providers of regulated activities have to register with the CQC and follow a set of fundamental standards of safety and quality below which care should never fall.

One of the fundamental standards requires that all service users must be treated with dignity and respect. This includes making sure everybody is treated as equals and they are given any support they need.

The Department is working closely with our delivery partners, Skills for Care to improve the level of skills of the adult social care workforce.

Skills for Care has developed a comprehensive suite of standards and qualifications to help workers develop the skills and knowledge they need provide safe, effective and compassionate care for all people who use services.

Under the Care Act, local authorities are required to shape their local social care market to ensure that services are sustainable, diverse and offer high quality care and support. Prices and fee rates are negotiated locally by commissioners for state funded clients, whilst individuals and their families do so for those who self-fund.

Local authorities are subject to the Public Sector Equality duty, which requires them to take steps to meet the needs of people with protected characteristics (which includes people living with HIV), where they are different from the needs of others, and to minimise or remove disadvantages resulting from protected characteristics. Local authorities have a duty to ensure that when someone has been assessed as being eligible for care and support, they must commission the services to meet those needs. However, it is up to each local authority to decide what services to provide and how much based on local circumstances.

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