Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 5 November 2019.
John Hayes
Conservative, South Holland and The Deepings
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will end the practice of placing people with neurological conditions (a) in generic nursing homes that do not meet their needs and (b) in non-neighbouring local authorities away from their support networks.
Caroline Dinenage
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The commissioning of social care services is a matter for local authorities who are best placed to the understand the needs of local people and communities, and how to meet them.
The Care Act 2014 placed a new duty on councils to offer a meaningful choice of services, so that people have a range of high quality, appropriate care options to choose from and that they get the services that best meet their needs.
The Care Act guidance is clear that local authorities should ensure that where they arrange services, the assessed needs of a person with eligible care and support needs is translated into effective, appropriate commissioned services that are adequately resourced and meet the wellbeing principle of the Act. This includes people with neurological conditions.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
