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LAW At Work (LAW), a Jersey-based company that specialises in health and safety, employee relations and care support services, is reminding home care providers they need to be ready for the first official inspections under a set of new regulations that are due this year.
According to a recent Freedom of Information request, 20 companies who deliver care in people’s homes have registered with the Jersey Care Commission (JCC) which took on the legal responsibility for regulating care from January 2019.
Under the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014, all home care providers have to register with the JCC and have to be inspected at least annually. The first inspection will be within 12 months of registering.
People in Jersey are living longer now than at any other time and the care sector has grown over the last few years to meet the needs of an aging population. The 2014 new law was brought in to regulate care services, including support and care for people in their own homes which was previously unregulated.
Ian Dyer, Associate Director – Care at Law At Work, says the regulations are there to provide independent assurance regarding the quality, safety and effectiveness of care services.
“The regulations governing care make sure staff are suitably qualified, have had the right training and have had all the necessary background checks to be able to deliver safe care to people in their homes.
“The guiding principles of the JCC are that services are respectful, listen to the people receiving care, are safe, give people choice and are of a high quality.”
The JCC will publish their inspection reports and any improvement notices so that the public are fully informed.
LAW say the process involved in ensuring care providers are compliant with the new regulations is challenging and will take time and commitment.
“As with many new regulations, companies will need to review their practices and may need to introduce new systems to ensure compliance,” explained Ian.
“Some providers may already have the right policies and training in place, but others may need some help and guidance to ensure they are ready for their inspection.”
