Functions of CHAI and CSCI
Section 102: Transfer of functions to CHAI and CSCI
226.This section transfers to the CHAI the responsibility for regulating independent hospitals, independent clinics and independent medical agencies, and transfers to the CSCI the responsibility for regulating children’s homes, residential and nursing homes, residential family centres, domiciliary care agencies, nurses agencies, fostering agencies, voluntary adoption agencies and adoption support agencies (defined in section 107 of the Act as ‘registered social care services’). The NCSC is abolished by section 44 of the Act.
227.Part 3 of the CSA 2000 gave the NCSC the function of inspecting local authority adoption and fostering services. These are defined as ‘relevant services’ by section 43 of the CSA 2000. In carrying out such inspections, the NCSC was obliged to take account of national minimum standards issued under section 23 of that Act. This part of the CSA 2000 is repealed in part (see Schedule 14).
228.Chapter 5 of this Act provides the CSCI with general powers to inspect local authority social services. These powers also allow the CSCI to inspect local authority adoption and fostering services. The separate powers of inspection with regard to adoption and fostering services in Part 3 of the Care Standards Act are, therefore, no longer needed. The elements of Part 3 that have been retained provide for the Secretary of State to make regulations with regard to relevant services and also to make regulations prescribing the frequency with which relevant services must be inspected by CSCI.
229.Subsection (4) transfers the inspection of relevant services, previously carried out by the NCSC, to CSCI for any interim period before CSCI takes on its general powers to inspect local authority social services under Chapter 5.
Section 105: Fees
230.Fees are currently chargeable in respect of registered social care services and independent health care services under the CSA 2000. They are set out in regulations made by the Secretary of State. This section amends section 113 of the CSA 2000 to provide for the CHAI and the CSCI to determine fees in respect of their respective functions under Part 2 of that Act. Both Commissions and the Secretary of State must consult appropriate persons before fees devised by them come into effect (subsections (5) and (6) of the new section 113A). Subsection (4) of the new section 113A provides that Secretary of State must approve any fees determined by either Commission before they come into effect.
