The Care Inspectorate is aware of the challenges faced by some care providers on the recruitment and retention of nurses in the care sector. Some care providers have approached us about reconfiguring their staffing model, to develop the role of their senior care workers so that they can deploy their nurses more effectively and in some cases reduce reliance on agency nursing.
The Care Inspectorate is keen to support innovation in care that reflects changing needs and demands, where this improves outcomes for service users; as such we are willing to support piloting of new initiatives. The process for supporting these initiatives is through our registration variation process. A criteria will be applied to support the consideration of the application and, if granted, specific time limited conditions will be placed on the registration of the service. We will expect any such initiative to be evaluated, before consideration is given to confirming these arrangements as permanent.
Prior to submitting your variation, the Registration Team will be able to advise on what actions you should be taking to support your application. This should include engagement with local commissioners, as well as with residents and relatives and the development of a plan to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of your initiative. Please note, cost saving will not be an acceptable criteria for application.
The Care Inspectorate's vision is to ensure that every person receives high quality, safe and compassionate care that meets their needs and promotes their rights.