Here we will tell you about who checks that care homes are looking after your loved ones appropriately.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is the inspectorate that visits care homes to make sure they are up to standard. They issue reports on several matters concerned with the running of the the home and the ultimate well-being of the individual resident (service user). You can visit the CSCI website by clicking the link and read reports on individual homes on their site.
Things that they check include: facilities of the home, care staff, training of care staff and so on. They are looking to see that national minimum standards are being adhered to. Below is an extract of information available from the CSCI's website on what the standards are and what they mean for someone in a home. national minimum standards
• What should I expect from my care home?
• What rights do I have?
• Who will listen to my complaints?
If you are living in a care home, or know
someone who is, then you might want
answers to these questions.
In 2002, the Government introduced new national
minimum standards for care homes for older people
in England. They were reviewed in 2006 to make
sure they are improving care, but it’s important to
know what they mean for you.
The standards set out the quality of care, service
and facilities you should expect from a care home.
They also include advice on what to do if you are
unhappy or concerned about something you
experience or see in a care home.
Inspectors from the CSCI monitor the national minimum standards. They employ inspectors to check the quality of care homes in England.
If you are concerned about the care you or
someone you know is getting, or if you have
any questions, please call the CSCI helpline on
0845 015 0120 for completely confidential advice.
Here are some examples of the national minimum
standards to give you an idea of the service and
care you should expect from a care home.
• I have the privacy I need when bathing, washing,
or going to the toilet. (standard 10.1)
• All staff treat me with the respect I deserve.
(standard 10.5)
You have the right to privacy and dignity. You have
the right to make private phone calls. No-one
should open your personal mail without your
permission. Staff shouldn’t call you by the wrong
name, and they should only use a pet name if they
ask you first.
“No-one had ever called me Carrie apart from
my husband. I hated it when the staff at my care
home started to call me that. I didn’t like to
complain because it sounded petty, but my son
had a quiet word and they now call
me Mrs Towers.”
• I am able to deal with my own finances, but I can
also choose to have someone else look after them
for me. (standard 14.2)
• Wherever possible, I am involved in planning my
care. (standard 7.6)
You have the right to control your own finances. Staff
should not treat your money as if it was their own,
and they should not force you to do anything you
don’t want to do.
• My ethnic, religious and social needs are
understood and met. (standard 4.3)
• I can follow my religious beliefs. (standard 12.2)
You have the right to eat food that is prepared in line
with your faith, and to worship when and where you
want to. You also have the right not to take part if
you don’t want to.
“As my father gets older he prefers to speak in his
mother tongue – which in our case is Hindi. We
found a home that employs people who speak
Hindi and that knows how to cater for Hindus. It’s
comforting to know.”
• I can register with any doctor I want
(standard 8.10)
• Any medicine a doctor prescribes for me is kept
safe and managed safely by staff. (standard 9.6)
• I can take exercise when I want to. (standard 12.3)
You have the right to control your medicine. Staff
should not give you medicine without you knowing,
for example, by putting sleeping tablets in food.
“When my mother first went into a care home, she
asked if she was allowed to go out. The staff
assured her that she was – it’s her home, not a
prison! Of course, they’re always careful that they
monitor her situation in case she needs
assistance.”
• When my relatives come to visit, I can take them
into my room if I want to. (standard 13.2)
• I can have visitors at different times of the day and
as often as I want. (standard 13.4)
You have the right to a social life. You should be
allowed to go for a walk or to the cinema if you
want, or to play cards if that’s your hobby. It
shouldn’t be a problem for your friends to visit you
in the evening – you should be able to see who you
want, when you want.
“My friend Chris works all day and can only
come and see me in the evening. He asked if
this was OK, and the staff assured him that it
was fine – there are no ‘visiting times’ here –
after all it’s my home. They don’t just let people
traipse in and out though as they have to look
after our safety too.”
• My meals look and taste good. (standard 15.4)
• I have a varied diet and I can choose the food that
I eat. (standard 12.2)
• I have time to relax and enjoy my meal.
(standard 15.8)
You have the right to enjoy your food. Staff
shouldn’t hurry you or be impatient, or make you
eat food that has been blended because it is easier
for them. It would also be wrong to make a
vegetarian eat meat.
“My sister is partially blind now, but her care
home makes sure the food on her plate is
colourful and varied, which makes a big
difference. Imagine white fish in white sauce
with mashed potato and cauliflower if you can’t
see properly!”
• My home is clean, comfortable, safe and well
maintained. (standard 19.1)
• If I use a wheelchair, there is enough space for me
to get through doors without hurting my hands or
getting stuck. (standard 22.5)
• I can choose not to share a room if I don’t want to.
(standard 23.6)
• The home controls the water temperature so it is
not too hot or too cold. (standard 25.8)
You have the right to feel comfortable in your home.
You might not want to share a room, or have a room
on the ground floor, or you might want to be closer
to the garden. You may not always be able to have
exactly what you want straight away, but you do
have the right to ask.
“When I had to start using a wheelchair it upset
me that I couldn’t get out into the garden. It was
easily solved by the manager, who arranged for a
ramp to be built from the door by my room down
to the garden.”
• The home values my comments and considers
them when they make decisions. (standard 33.6)
• Staff have explained the complaints process to me
and I feel I can make a complaint if I need to.
(standard 16.1)
You have the right to complain if you are not happy
about the way you are treated. The same applies in a
care home. The staff have a duty to take your
complaint seriously and do something about it. If
they can’t, they should explain why not, and give you
a good reason.
“I was worried about complaining or making
suggestions because I didn’t want to be a
nuisance, but my friend persuaded me that I
should. I had a chat with the manager who was
really helpful. Now I take part in our residents’
and relatives’ forum, which is really interesting
and I can have my say.”
• Staff should protect me from being harmed by
anyone working, visiting or living in my home.
(standard 18.1)
• No one should discriminate against me because
of my sex, age, disability, race, culture or religion.
(standard 18.1)
You have the right to feel safe, and to be treated
with dignity and respect. It is against the law to
harm someone physically or mentally, or to
discriminate against someone for any reason. All
staff have a duty to treat you politely, fairly and
with respect.
“When I visited my mother she was very upset
by the way she had been treated by a member
of staff, and had bruises on her arm where they
had bathed her. We made a complaint to the
Commission for Social Care Inspection, who
carried out an investigation that resulted in the
member of staff being dismissed.”
If you are unhappy about any part of your care, or if
you are worried about an older person you know in
care, then the care home should want to put things
right. All care homes must have a clear complaints
procedure that is available to everyone. This should
be displayed where everyone can see it. Staff must
reply to complaints within 28 days.
If you are not happy with the way your home deals
with your complaint, or you are worried or not sure
about who to talk to, you can call the CSCI helpline
for advice. You can talk in confidence with their
trained advisors. They will keep your name or details
confidential if you want them to. They will then follow up
your concerns with the care home, working with
them, where appropriate, to help solve the problem.
If it is necessary they can take legal action to protect
you. You must always contact the CSCI if you
suspect someone is being abused or harmed in any
way. This could be physical, verbal, emotional or
financial abuse.
The CSCI confidential helpline number is
0845 015 0120.
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