09 March 2022
The Minister for the Environment, Deputy John Young, has put forward proposals to regulate social work and mental health services for children and young people operating in Jersey.
The draft Regulations under the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014 would extend the remit of the independent Jersey Care Commission so that it becomes responsible for regulating and conducting annual inspections of the following services:
- adoption services
- children's home services
- fostering services
- social work services for children and young people
- independent monitoring and review of children's safeguarding arrangements
- child contact centres
- residential family centres
- children and young peoples' mental health services
- care services in special schools
- children and family community nursing services
The Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014 provides a regulatory framework for health and social care in Jersey. Providers and managers of services who fail to register with the Care Commission or breach legal requirements may be found guilty of an offence.
Deputy Young, who holds ministerial responsibility for health and social care regulatory policy, said: "The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry recommended that Jersey should introduce statutory inspection of children's services. My proposals go further and would, if approved by the Assembly, place all social work and outpatient mental health services provided to Jersey's children under the regulatory oversight of the Care Commission.
"This legislation will allow Islanders to better verify that care provided to children and young people is safe, appropriate and delivered to a high standard."
The draft Regulations were subject to a full public consultation between 19 July and 17 September 2021 and the overall feedback received supported the introduction of the proposals.
It is anticipated that the legislation will be debated during the States sitting which starts on 25 April 2022.
Proposals for a new fees structure, to be paid by social work and mental health services for children and young people, were recently published for public consultation which will close on Friday 8 April 2022.
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