The chief executive officer of each health board has responsibility for the management of the workforce in public nursing homes, including the appropriate staffing mix, precise grades of staff employed in line with service priorities. It is a matter for each employer to ensure that staff in their employment have adequate training and skills to perform the duties expected of them. A major training initiative has begun in relation to the training of care attendants in the health sector, including those employed in public nursing homes. A pilot scheme has been completed and favourably assessed. The scheme of training has been rolled out throughout the health sector since autumn 2003. Over 500 care attendants have engaged in this phase of the training to date. There are a number of core modules to be undertaken by all trainees, along with other modules which pertain to their current employment.
In the case of care attendants in the nursing home sector, the module "Caring for the Older Person" in particular will address their needs. This module will be available from September 2004. Training will be provided on a regional basis. It is a matter for each employer to manage the ratio of staff to patient in the services they provide in light of their duty of care to patients. The inspection of private nursing homes is the responsibility of the health boards under the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990. Regulations made under this Act empower health boards to inspect private nursing homes. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has established a working group comprising all stakeholders to review the operation and administration of the nursing home subvention scheme. As part of this review the working group will make recommendations on the development and implementation of quality care standards in institutional settings and examine all issues in relation to the regulation of private nursing homes, including the inspection process. It is intended that the inspection of both private and public long-stay facilities will fall under the remit of the social services inspectorate in due course.
