Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer question S2W-28124 on 19 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28126 on 19 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Prevention of infectionin care homes is a result of good management, provision of up-to-date infectioncontrol policies and procedures which are readily available to all staff, educationof new staff at induction and on-going education to existing staff, and monitoringand audit, with actions taken to remedy any deficiencies.

The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act2001, its associated regulations and the National Care Standards against which theCare Commission regulates care homes, require providers to have appropriate proceduresin place for the control of infection and management of clinical waste. Staff workingin care homes are required to be appropriately trained and qualified for the jobsthey do. The hygiene and infection control triggers used by the Care CommissionOfficers when inspecting adult care homes cover a range of areas, including evidenceof staff training and knowledge of hygiene, infection control and waste disposalissues.

The commission inspects carehomes at least twice a year. Where there are concerns, the Care Commission has thepower to put recommendations and/or requirements on a care service to ensure anyissues are addressed.

The Care Commissionemploys a Professional Adviser on hygiene and infection control who provides information and education toCare Commission Officers to assist them in their regulatory role of registration,inspection, complaint investigation and enforcement. Officers are then able to updateservice providers as necessary during inspections.

Based on the findingsin its Review of Cleanliness, Hygiene and Infection Control in Care Homes forOlder People, published in 2005, the Care Commission has collaborated with NHSEducation Scotland in an infection control study day to assist service providersin their efforts to improve infection control within their services. This was complementedby infection control workshops at the Royal College of Nursing study day for carehomes in May 2006. Further workshops have been planned for a future study day atHeriot Watt University.

The Healthcare AssociatedInfection Task Force, set up by ministers in 2003, was influential in openingup the “Cleanliness Champions” training, initially developed for the NHS, to theindependent sector, including care homes. This education programme developed byNHS Education Scotland is available to the independent and voluntary sector at Scott College in Dumbarton.

In 2005, the Scottish Executivepublished infection control best practice standards for adult care homes. Thesestandards underpin the regulatory requirement for care services to have appropriateprocedures in place for infection control.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28126 on 19 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Good nutritionalpractices in care homes are a result of good management, up-to-date policies andprocedures which are readily available to all staff, education of new staff at inductionand on-going education to existing staff, and monitoring and audit, with actionstaken to remedy any deficiencies.

The Care Commission, as the national regulatorof care services in Scotland, is required to take account of the National Care Standards(NCS), published by Scottish ministers in carrying out its regulatory functions.The NCS for Care Homes for Older People covera range of important issues including nutrition and monitoring the liquid intakeof residents. Care home staff are expected to monitor residents’ food and drinkintake and, where there are concerns, take advice from appropriate professionals,such as a dietician or GP. The commission inspects care homes at least twice a yearand has the power to put recommendations and/or requirements on a care service toensure that any issues of concern are addressed.

Improving nutrition in care homesfor older people is one of the commission’s inspection themes for 2006-07. The findingswill be reported nationally. The triggers used by CareCommission Officers for nutrition when inspecting care homes cover a range of areasincluding evidence of a food and nutrition policy; evidence of residents’ meal preferencesbeing met; evidence that fluid needs are being met, and evidence of staff trainingand knowledge of nutritional issues.

The Care Commission employs a Professional Adviser on nutrition who provides information and education toCare Commission Officers to assist them in their regulatory role of registration,inspection, complaint investigation and enforcement. Officers are then able to updateservice providers as necessary during inspections.

In addition, the Scottish Executive provided funding to support the recent appointment by the CareCommission of a Nurse Consultant for CareHomes. Part of her role will be to create a learning network for staff in care homes.one project will focus on nutrition, and the commission’s nutrition adviser andits dieticians network for care homes will work together on this initiative.

The Scottish Executive has noplans to increase the monitoring of nutritional and hygiene practices in care homes.There is already a robust regulatory framework in place through the Care Commission.I refer the member to theanswers to questions S2W-28124 and S2W-28126 on 19 September 2006. All answersto written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, thesearch facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to theanswers to questions S2W-28124 and S2W-28126 on 19 September 2006. All answersto written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, thesearch facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Scottish Executive does notprovide training for nursing home staff.

The Executive has not soughtto define ”close proximity” with regard to the siting of mobile telephone mastsin the vicinity of schools or in residential areas. Planning guidance on the sitingand design of these masts is contained in National Planning Policy Guideline 19and Planning Advice Note 62, both entitled Radio Telecommunications. Copiesof the publications are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre(Bib. numbers 15218 and 16043 respectively), or can be viewed on the Scottish Executive’sPlanning website. www.scotland.gov.uk/planning.

The Executive has seteconomic growth as the number one priority and we are determined to create theright environment and conditions where business can thrive. The SmartSuccessful Scotland strategy sets out our approach to achieving this. One of the key components of the strategy is a drive to develop and sustain a higherlevel of entrepreneurial activity in our society.

The provision of goodquality support and assistance through the enterprise networks will remaincrucial to this work. In the longer term, real improvements in our culturalapproach to entrepreneurship and enterprise will benefit significantly from ourenterprise in education programme. The £86 million we have made available todeliver the Determined to Succeed strategy in every school is a clear mark of the scale of our commitment.