Our powers and duties
We have been given a range of legal powers and duties. These include:
Registering providers of health care and social care
To ensure they are meeting the essential standards of quality and safety.
Monitoring how providers comply with the standards
Gathering information and visiting them when we think it is needed.
Using our enforcement powers
Such as fines and public warnings, if services drop below the essential standards. If we think that people’s rights or safety are at risk, we will act quickly – including closing a service down if necessary.
Acting to protect patients whose rights are restricted
Acting to protect patients whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act.
Promoting improvement in services
By conducting regular reviews of how well those who arrange and provide services locally are performing.
Carrying out special reviews
Of particular types of services and pathways of care, or undertaking investigations on areas where we have concerns about quality.
Seeking the views of people who use services
Involving them in our work and publishing a statement on how we dow this.
Telling people about the quality of their local care services
This will help providers and commissioners of services to learn from each other about what works best and where improvement is needed, and help to shape national policy.
