Care Commission Chair appointed

15 March 2017

The Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, has notified the States Assembly of his intention to appoint Glenn Houston as the first Chair of Jersey’s independent Care Commission.

The Care Commission is being established in advance of the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014, which will come into force towards the end of 2017. It will be responsible for overseeing the quality of care provided to Islanders either in their own homes (domiciliary care) or in key care services (care homes, children’s homes and adult day care services).

Senator Gorst said “I am delighted to give notice to the Assembly of my intention to appoint Glenn Houston as Chair of the Jersey Care Commission. Glenn has more than 35 years’ experience of working in the health and social care sector, including seven years as the Chief Executive of Northern Ireland’s independent health and social care regulator, which is broadly equivalent to our own Care Commission. He will bring to the Jersey Care Commission the knowledge, skills and know-how to help ensure that Islanders who need care receive the best possible care.

“We know that in future years, care services will be increasingly in demand and will be delivered by a wide range of providers in a myriad of different settings. As Chair of the Care Commission, Glenn is tasked to help ensure that those services meet people’s needs, support their quality of life and protect them from harm.”

Mr Houston commented “I am honoured to have been appointed Chair of the Jersey Care Commission. The Care Commission will, through a programme of independent inspection, work to assure the public that health and social care services are safe, effective and well led.

“The Commission will place a strong emphasis on achieving compliance with regulations and standards and will encourage service providers to aspire to excellence through continuous quality improvement.

“By working in partnership with service users and the States of Jersey, the Care Commission will develop an effective and responsive regulatory framework for the Island.”