Former CSCI
20-06-09
The commission for social care inspection (CSCI) is the daughter of the earlier national care standards commission (NCSC) which was launched in April 2002 – it was a bit of a runt of an agency which grew out of the Care Standards Act 2000.
That Act was brought about by a number of factors and events, one of which was the North Wales child abuse revelations where numerous children were systematically sexually, emotionally and physically abused. A rather revealing report “Lost in Care” (the Waterhouse Report) describes the utter failure of all sector providers (public/private/voluntary) for looked after children and both within residential care and foster care. One of the most concerning was the utter failure of managers and elected members to take responsibility (or sometimes colluded in their demise) for children in care, resulting in the concept that these are ‘our children.’ The full report can be read here:
Hitherto local authorities ran inspection units, effectively inspecting themselves – and we know what that means!
So the 2000 Care Standards Act and the birth of the NCSC (later CSCI – Commission for Social Care Inspection), the General Social Care Council (GSCC) and others such as SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence).
In summary the NCSC/CSCI no longer exist but SCIE, the GSCC do and the NCSC/CSCI functions (child care) have been assumed by Ofsted as of April 2008. Their respective websites are listed below:
These are all the English based organisations – each of the three other countries have similar but differently titled and seperate organisations responsible to the pwn Assemblies/Parliament. Is that a good thing? Time will tell.
The Waterhouse Report – Lost in Care should be essential reading for every child & family social worker. It contains essential reading that will significantly influence practice. Remember, what was discovered in Wales could and was discovered in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Wilt