Registration and Inspection of Care Homes

On 1 April 2002 the responsibility for registration and inspection of residential care homes was transferred from local authority registration units to the newly created National Care Standards Commission.

As of 1 April 2004, two new inspectorates replace the National Care Standards Commission. Commission for Social Care Inspectorate (CSCI) and the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI).

The Commission for Social Care Inspection brings together the work previously undertaken by the Social Services Inspectorate, the SSI/ Audit Commission joint review team and the social care functions of the National Care Standards Commission

The Inspectorate will:

• Carry out local inspections of all social care organisations - public, private, and voluntary - against national standards and publish reports.
• Register services that meet national minimum standards.
• Carry out inspections of local social service authorities.
• Publish an annual report to Parliament on national progress on social care and an analysis of where resources have been spent.
• Validate all published performance assessment statistics on social care.
• Publish the star ratings for social services authorities.

The Inspectorate area office for County Durham and Darlington can be contacted at:
1 Hopetown Studios
Brinkburn Road
Darlington
DL3 6DS
Tel: 01325 371720