Department of Health and Social Care
Central Government
Action Planned
DHSC outlines government's plans to improve care, including the 10 Year Health Plan (publishing in Spring 2025) which focuses on shifting from hospital to community care, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. They cite increased funding to the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), the introduction of a new mandatory training requirement for care workers, and new duties for NHS England and ICBs to involve carers in public engagement and care planning. (AI summary)
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Dear Ms Mutch, Thank you for the Regulation 28 report of 6th September 2024, sent to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), about the death of Mrs Emilia Allsopp. I am replying as the Minister with responsibility for adult social care. Firstly, I would like to say how deeply saddened I was to read of the circumstances of Mrs Allsopp’s death. I offer my sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. The circumstances outlined in your report are very concerning and I am grateful to you for bringing these matters to my attention. We agree that it is important to enable people to stay well, safe and independent at home for longer by providing the right care in the right place at the right time. The government’s 10 Year Health Plan which will be published in Spring 2025 will be underlined by 3 big shifts in healthcare:
• hospital to community
• analogue to digital
• sickness to prevention As part of the shift from hospital to community, high quality, safe, and suitable homes are a vital part of helping people stay independent and healthy for longer. To enable this in England, we continue to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes – through practical changes like installing stair lifts or level access showers – to make them safe and suitable for their needs. At the budget, the Chancellor announced an £86 million increase to the DFG. These interventions enable older people and/or disabled adults to live more independent and healthy lives in their own home, for as long as possible. Good support within a care environment also relies on staff that are trained to a high standard. This is why, on 10 January 2024, the Department of Health and Social Care published the first part of the Care Workforce Pathway, a new national career framework, for the adult social care sector. The Pathway, along with the departments new Level 2 Adult Care Certificate qualification, have been developed to work in conjunction with existing standards and competency frameworks, including the Dementia Training Standards Framework.
On 6 September 2024, the Department launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme. The Learning and Development Support Scheme allows eligible employers to claim for funding for certain training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible care staff. This includes a range of qualifications that cover the Dementia Training Standards Framework. Under CQC Regulation 18: Staffing, persons employed by the service provider in the provision of a regulated activity must receive such appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision, and appraisal as is necessary to enable them to carry out the duties they are employed to perform. I am sorry to hear that Mrs Allsopp’s family did not receive the level of support they felt they required to continue caring for Mrs Allsopp in her home. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers. Local Authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. They are also required to undertake Carer’s Assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support and local authorities are required to meet their eligible needs on request from them. The Care Quality Commission is assessing how well local authorities are meeting their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including those relating to carers. The Health and Care Act 2022 contains significant measures for people caring for their family and friends and those they are caring for. These include:
• new duties for NHS England and the new Integrated Care boards to involve carers in public engagement;
• provisions for Integrated Care Boards to promote the involvement of patients and their carers and representatives (if any), in decisions relating to, prevention and diagnosis of illness, care and treatment of the person they care for; and,
• a duty for NHS trusts and foundations to take any steps it considers necessary to involve patients and carers in discharge planning, where appropriate. Under the Health and Care Act 2022, NHS England and Integrated Care Boards have a duty to involve unpaid carers, such as Mrs Allsopp’s family, in care planning. NHS England will continue to look for ways to identify and support these carers. For example, within the hospital discharge process and with regard to virtual wards. I hope this response is helpful. Thank you again for bringing these concerns to my attention.
• hospital to community
• analogue to digital
• sickness to prevention As part of the shift from hospital to community, high quality, safe, and suitable homes are a vital part of helping people stay independent and healthy for longer. To enable this in England, we continue to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes – through practical changes like installing stair lifts or level access showers – to make them safe and suitable for their needs. At the budget, the Chancellor announced an £86 million increase to the DFG. These interventions enable older people and/or disabled adults to live more independent and healthy lives in their own home, for as long as possible. Good support within a care environment also relies on staff that are trained to a high standard. This is why, on 10 January 2024, the Department of Health and Social Care published the first part of the Care Workforce Pathway, a new national career framework, for the adult social care sector. The Pathway, along with the departments new Level 2 Adult Care Certificate qualification, have been developed to work in conjunction with existing standards and competency frameworks, including the Dementia Training Standards Framework.
On 6 September 2024, the Department launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme. The Learning and Development Support Scheme allows eligible employers to claim for funding for certain training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible care staff. This includes a range of qualifications that cover the Dementia Training Standards Framework. Under CQC Regulation 18: Staffing, persons employed by the service provider in the provision of a regulated activity must receive such appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision, and appraisal as is necessary to enable them to carry out the duties they are employed to perform. I am sorry to hear that Mrs Allsopp’s family did not receive the level of support they felt they required to continue caring for Mrs Allsopp in her home. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers. Local Authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. They are also required to undertake Carer’s Assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support and local authorities are required to meet their eligible needs on request from them. The Care Quality Commission is assessing how well local authorities are meeting their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including those relating to carers. The Health and Care Act 2022 contains significant measures for people caring for their family and friends and those they are caring for. These include:
• new duties for NHS England and the new Integrated Care boards to involve carers in public engagement;
• provisions for Integrated Care Boards to promote the involvement of patients and their carers and representatives (if any), in decisions relating to, prevention and diagnosis of illness, care and treatment of the person they care for; and,
• a duty for NHS trusts and foundations to take any steps it considers necessary to involve patients and carers in discharge planning, where appropriate. Under the Health and Care Act 2022, NHS England and Integrated Care Boards have a duty to involve unpaid carers, such as Mrs Allsopp’s family, in care planning. NHS England will continue to look for ways to identify and support these carers. For example, within the hospital discharge process and with regard to virtual wards. I hope this response is helpful. Thank you again for bringing these concerns to my attention.