National Preventive Mechanism Annual Report 2009–10 Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales T he Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) is responsible for the regulation and inspection of all social care services in Wales. This broad remit includes, for example, the inspection of local authority social services, care homes for adults, children’s homes, day care services for children, adoption and fostering services and residential schools.32 CSSIW has been designated as a member of the UK’s NPM due to its inspections of secure accommodation for children. There is only one such facility for children in Wales (Hillside Secure Children’s Centre) and children are placed there either because of their offending behaviour or because they pose a significant risk to themselves or others. Methodology In addition, CSSIW monitors the use of the deprivation of liberty safeguards during its regular inspections of adult care homes. As noted previously, these safeguards were introduced to protect those who lack capacity to consent to care or treatment that is deemed by others to be in their best interest. Such care or treatment may involve depriving a person of their liberty in either a hospital or a care home.33 As well as inspecting social care services, CSSIW provides professional advice to the Welsh Assembly Government to inform the development of policy, legislation and practice. CSSIW carries out its functions on behalf of Welsh Ministers and is part of the Welsh Assembly Government. However, CSSIW is functionally independent of the government and has extensive operational autonomy. It is able to set its own programme of work and has full editorial control over its reports. CSSIW undertakes announced and unannounced inspections. Both Hillside and adult care homes are inspected annually. CSSIW has the right of entry to premises, the right to inspect and remove documents and to require information, and the right to interview staff and service users in private. All inspection reports are published except where the care home inspected is so small that publication may allow the identification of individual residents. CSSIW is committed to putting the experiences of service users at the heart of its work, encouraging services to treat people with dignity and respect and promoting equality, diversity and human rights. Summary of activities and key issues In its annual inspection of Hillside in 2009, CSSIW identified no outstanding requirements from the previous inspection and no new requirements were made.34 Given that Hillside is the only secure children’s home in Wales, some children placed there are a considerable distance from their homes. In addition, children from Wales may be placed elsewhere in the secure estate in the UK. For both groups, 32 The mandate of CSSIW is set out in several pieces of legislation including the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children Act 1989 and the Adoption and Children Act 2002. 33 For more information about deprivation of liberty safeguards, see the profile of CQC at page 33. The use of the safeguards in health services in Wales is monitored by HIW while in England, CQC monitors the safeguards in both health and social care services. 34 The service provider is responsible for ensuring that the service operates in a way which complies with the regulations. Those regulations which CSSIW believes to be key in bringing about change in the particular service will be separately and clearly identified in the ‘requirement’ section of an inspection report. 38