Report from the Head of Professional and Care Regulation
to the Minister for Health and Social Services
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TITLE: Authority to Enter Premises
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Background
As part of the Minister’s statutory responsibility regulating Nursing and Residential Homes he can authorise inspectors to visit and inspect premises on his behalf. This is set out under Article 19 of the Nursing and Residential Homes (Jersey) Law 1994 which states:
“(1) ... any person authorised in that behalf by the Minister may at any time, after producing, if asked to do so, some duly authenticated document showing that he is so authorised, enter and inspect any premises which are used, or which that person has reasonable cause to believe to be used, for the purposes of a home to which this law applies,”
The Professional and Care Regulation Team have been fortunate to secure the services of a senior inspector, Audrey Murphy, who will be temporarily seconded from the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). RQIA is the Northern Ireland health and social care regulator. Audrey Murphy will provide advice and inspection expertise to support the local regulatory function.
Audrey Murphy
Audrey Murphy is a qualified social worker, she has a BA (hons) in psychology, diploma in social work, post qualifying award in Social Work, Post Graduate Diploma in Health and Social Services, Masters in Public Administration, Certificate in International Regulatory Affairs and QCF Level 5 in Management and Leadership.
Ms Murphy has over 20 years’ experience of working in and managing a range of supported living and residential care services across the statutory and independent sectors.
In 2009 she took up a position with RQIA as a Learning Disability Inspector where she gained substantial experience of regulating a broad range of social care services and services provided to patients in mental health and learning disability services.
She has extensive knowledge of the regulatory framework and has experience of securing improvements in services that are either at risk of or in breach of regulations or the minimum standards through the implementation of a stepped approach including enforcement action.
Ms Murphy has undertaken work within other directorates in RQIA including prison inspections and has contributed to RQIA’s review of governance arrangements in Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts and to a review of community learning disability services for children and adults in Northern Ireland. She is currently a member of the review team examining the arrangements within HSC Trusts for the use of restraint and seclusion.
She has worked in a senior position within RQIA since December 2012 and this included a six month period as acting Head of Programme. In her current position as Senior Inspector she works closely with other statutory bodies including HSC Trusts to ensure that RQIA's statutory functions are discharged effectively.
Ms Murphy led the development of RIQA’s Enforcement Procedures and is a member of the Directorate's senior management team contributing to the maintenance and development of the directorate's risk register, corporate strategy and business plans.
She currently has responsibility for the regulation and inspection of all domiciliary care agencies, adult placement agencies and nursing agencies (around 350 regulated services) in Northern Ireland.
Recommendation
Authorise Audrey Murphy as an inspector under Article 19(1) of the Nursing and Residential Homes (Jersey) Law 2014.
Christine Blackwood
Head of Professional and Care Regulation
11 July 2017
gov.je