A raft of propositions have been lodged by Chief Minister John Le Fondré setting out draft legislation aimed at regulating the Island’s care sector.
Among the provisions set out within the draft laws are:
lThe criteria required for a person to be registered as the provider or a manager within the care industry.
lThe fees payable to be registered, which will be based on the size of the provider.
lA fine of £50,000 for those who breach the regulations.
The propositions come four years after States Members voted to introduce the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014 – which aims to provide a legislative framework for the independent regulation of health and social care in the Island.
According to a report accompanying the proposition, the law will replace the existing ‘inadequate and fragmented’ legislation ‘which allows for high-risk services to operate with minimal independent monitoring of safety or quality of care’.
Some articles of the law were brought into force in 2014 to enable the establishment of an independent Care Commission to prepare for the implementation of the regulations and development of standards.
States Members are due to vote on 4 December on whether to introduce the remaining articles of the legislation. If approved, the last sections of the law will take effect on 1 January.
