Local authorities given new duty to take account of inspection reports
Posted on Wednesday 17 February 2010
The Finance Committee of the Scottish Parliament has accepted amendments to the Public Service Reform Bill which will oblige local authorities and health boards to take inspection reports into account when they are commissioning or purchasing services.
For some time now, providers have been concerned at the lack of attention paid by some authorities to Care Commission information - particularly quality gradings - when re-tendering existing services. CCPS therefore worked with government to influence the introduction of a government amendment (147) to the bill that creates the Care Commission's successor organisation, SCSWIS, placing a new duty upon local authorities to consider information prepared or held by SCSWIS when commissioning care services. Unfortunately, the way this amendment was drafted allowed local authorities and health boards a considerable amount of leeway as to whether or not they made themselves aware of or used SCSWIS information, and so CCPS strongly supported further amendments to tighten up the wording which were laid by Jackie Baillie and Malcolm Chisholm.
During the Committee session on 9 February, both the Minister and other MSPs referred to points raised by CCPS in evidence given to Committee, with the Minister stating that “the concerns and arguments of the CCPS were one of the reasons for lodging Government amendments 147”.
CCPS is delighted that these amendments have been accepted, and hopes that the obligation on local authorities to take into account SCSWIS information will lead to improvements in both the commissioning process and the quality of services delivered.