Press release
Minister Butler launches a public consultation on draft regulations for home support providers
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, has launched a public consultation on draft regulations for providers of Home Support Services.
These regulations set out the minimum requirements for public, private and not-for-profit providers of home support services to be met in order to obtain a license to operate. The purpose of the licensing system will be to ensure that home support services are of consistent high quality, alongside allowing for the safeguarding of service-users.
The requirement to obtain a licence falls centrally on home support providers whose employees may encompass home helps, personal assistants and community-based healthcare support assistants, and whose services encompass the provision of assistance with personal hygiene, mobility, social engagement, and essential household tasks. Accordingly, service users will primarily be adults aged 18 or older, who by reason of illness, frailty or disability require home support assistance.
Launching the public consultation process, Minister Butler said:
"The government is committed to the introduction of a statutory home support scheme. I am pleased to launch this public consultation on the draft regulations for providers of home support services. This is a significant step towards delivering safer, more equitable and higher quality home support services. I look forward to hearing peoples’ views on the draft regulations."
The regulation of Home Support services impact on a wide range of stakeholders including service providers, service users, home support workers and family carers. The Department of Health wishes to obtain the views of those stakeholders and the wider public. The findings will inform the further development of Legislation governing Home Support.
The survey and draft regulations, which are also available in a plain English summary, and an Easy Read version, can be accessed here: Public Consultation on Draft Regulations for Providers of Home Support Services
The information from the public consultation will be analysed by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) who will produce a report for the department later this year. The Department of Health will publish a consultation report later this year.
In April 2021, the government gave approval to draft a General Scheme and Heads of a Bill to establish a licensing framework for home-support providers. This is being progressed by the department with a view to bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity. It is expected that the primary legislation will give the Minister for Health the power to make regulations in respect of minimum requirements which will form the criteria against which a provider’s eligibility to hold a licence will be determined.
The government is committed to establishing a new, statutory home-support scheme. The new scheme will provide equitable and transparent access to high-quality services for people based on their assessed care-needs.
This work encompasses the development of the regulatory framework; the examination of the options for the financing model for the scheme; and the development of a reformed model of service-delivery for home-support services. With the aim of ensuring that all service-users are provided with a standard, high-quality level of care which is safe, effective, and person-centred, it is envisaged that the regulatory framework will comprise of:
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is an authority established to drive high-quality and safe care for people using our health and social care services in Ireland.
The Institute of Public Health (IPH) informs public policy to support healthier populations in Ireland and Northern Ireland.