Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of safeguarding provisions in care homes during the covid-19 outbreak.

At the start of the pandemic the Care Quality Commission (CQC) paused routine inspections. They have continued to inspect services in response to risk, including where whistleblowing or safeguarding information has been received.

In addition to continuing to undertake inspection activity where there is a clear risk to safety, the CQC is undertaking infection, prevention and control inspections, inspecting services where there is an ability to award a new rating, supporting local authorities to commission care where needed and continuing to monitor and assess services where there is a risk of a closed cultures developing.

Safeguarding adults with care and support needs from abuse and neglect remains a statutory duty of local authorities under the Care Act 2014. Statutory guidance makes clear that safeguarding is everyone’s business. Local authorities, social care providers, the health and voluntary sector and our communities must continue work to prevent and reduce the risk of harm to people with care and support needs.