Working in partnership with scrutiny bodies: advice note

7. Joint strategic inspections of integrated care and health for adults

7.1 Working with partner scrutiny bodies, the Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland have continued to develop and deliver a model of joint inspection of integrated care and health for adults (beginning with older people).

These will be the main vehicle through which the Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland discharge their remit under Sections 54 to 56 of the Act to inspect the planning, organisation or co-ordination of the services that Health Boards and Local Authorities delegate, as set out within their Integration schemes, to Integration Authorities.

7.2 The purpose of these joint inspections can include:

• Reviewing and evaluating the extent to which integrated services are complying with the integration delivery principles and contributing to achieving the National Health and Wellbeing Outcomes
  
• Reviewing and evaluating the extent to which the planning, organisation or co-ordination of integrated services are complying with the integration delivery principles and contributing to achieving the National Health and Wellbeing Outcomes
  
• Reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of a strategic plan prepared under section 29 of the Act in complying with the integration delivery principles and contributing to achieving the National Health and Wellbeing Outcomes
  
• Encouraging improvement in the extent to which implementation of a strategic plan prepared under section 29 of the Act complies with the integration delivery principles and contributes to achieving the National Health and Wellbeing Outcomes

7.3 The new model of joint inspection of integrated care and health for adults considers how well health and care systems work together to deliver outcomes for adults by providing support that allows people to live in the community at home or in a homely setting. Six inspections are being carried out in 2014/15 focusing on older people and a further six inspections are planned for 2015/16 four of which will be on older people.

During 2016/17 the Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland will work together to develop the scrutiny methodology and also clarify roles and responsibilities under section 44 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 to further improve the quality of social services.

7.4 During 2012/13 the Care Inspectorate developed a model for joint inspections of services for children in conjunction with Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Education Scotland and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland. This programme has now been mainstreamed and six joint inspections are undertaken annually based on risk and intelligence. This inspection approach will inform strategic inspections of integrated care and health for adults to ensure there is a focus on transitions between services for children and those within the scope of the local integration scheme.