Bexley care homes receive additional inspection from councillors (From News Shopper)

Bexley councillors inspect care homes to ensure vulnerable people are looked after

11:21am Thursday 26th January 2012 in Health News By Jim Palmer

Bexley care homes receive additional inspection from councillors

CARE HOMES in Bexley are receiving extra scrutiny – from councillors.

In addition to the existing reports by council officers and the Care Quality Commission, elected members are also surveying how the borough’s residential homes are doing, in a bid to ensure vulnerable people are well provided for.

Chairman of the council’s Adults’ Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Chris Taylor, said: “We look at the homes as local people with a keen concern for how they care for the loved ones of the people we represent.

“And because the council also funds the care of many of the residents, we also ask questions to check that Council Taxpayers are getting the best possible value for money.”

The pre-arranged inspections take between one and three councillors and an officer from social services around two hours, and they aim to get round all homes by May.

The reports on the visits are available at Bexley.gov.uk/carereports and the council hopes it will be another source of information for people looking for residential care.