04.04.13
NICE publishes social care quality standards
NICE – now the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – has published its first joint health and social care quality standards.
The Institute took on its social care remit from April 1, and the first standards focus on three care of people with dementia and wellbeing of looked-after children. The public will be able to use profiles on NHS Choices to find information and compare social care providers.
A commissioning guide for dementia has also been published, bringing different guidance together to be more accessible for commissioners.
Care and support minister, Norman Lamb said: “Improving care services is one of our top priorities, and NICE, for the first time, is producing guidance and standards specifically focusing on the social care sector.
“The publication of these two joint health and social care quality standards – on the care of people with dementia and the health and wellbeing of looked-after children – marks the beginning of robust, evidence-based standards and guidance for the care and support sector, helping it to deliver high quality care.”
Professor Gillian Leng, director of health and social care at NICE, said: “Followed in its entirety, it will enable individual care practitioners, care homes, agencies and other social services to ensure that people with dementia have an enhanced quality of life, a positive experience of their care and are protected from avoidable harm.”
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