The Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) was established, on an administrative basis, in April 1999. Currently it is concentrating on inspecting children's residential centres operated by health boards. Residential centres for children operated by voluntary organisations are inspected by health boards.
My Department recently published the National Standards for Children's Residential Centres. These standards apply to both statutory and voluntary homes and the SSI work closely with the health boards to ensure consistency across both sectors.
I propose to establish the SSI on a statutory basis and to expand its responsibilities to encompass wider social services, for example services for people with a physical or intellectual disability and services for the elderly. The question of inclusion of non-health board facilities within the remit of the SSI is one of the issues which will be examined in preparing the new legislation.