Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to end the practice of placing people with neurological conditions in (a) nursing homes that do not meet their needs and (b) in non-neighbouring local authorities away from their family and support networks.

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 2014 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.