Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which (a) charities and (b) other organisations were consulted as part of (i) the redrafting of the care home visitor guidance released on 10 December 2021 and (ii) the upcoming changes to care home visitor guidance announced in his press conference on 19 January 2022; and if he will make a statement.

We are in regular contact with stakeholders on the development and implementation of guidance. Due to the emergence of Omicron variant and the evolving situation, weekly meetings were held to inform stakeholders. This is in addition to ad-hoc meetings with smaller groups and individual stakeholders.

Membership of these weekly meetings were as follows:

- The Department of Health and Social Care;

- The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities;

- The Care Quality Commission;

- The UK Health Security Agency,

- NHS England and NHS Improvement;

- The Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies’ Social Care Working Group;

- The Local Government Association;

- UNISON;

- Skills for Care;

- The Association of Directors of Public Health;

- The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services;

- The Homecare Association;

- The National Care Association;

- Care England;

- The National Care Forum;

- Age UK;

- The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group;

- HC-One;

- The Relatives and Residents Association;

- The Care Workers Charity;

- Gloucestershire Care Providers Association;

- Barchester Healthcare;

- ARC UK;

- The Registered Nursing Home Association;

- The Alzheimers Society;

- Devon County Council;

- Shared Lives Plus; and

- The Care Association Alliance.

We expect to make further announcements on next steps for visiting guidance in care homes shortly.