The Social Services Inspectorate was established in April 1999, initially on an administrative basis but it is proposed to establish it on a statutory basis. The main function of the inspectorate is to support the child care services by promoting and ensuring the development of quality standards. The SSI will monitor all personal social services operated by the health boards, in the longer term, but initially it is concentrating on the child care area and in particular on the inspection of health board operated residential child care facilities. The inspection process is intended to act as a catalyst for improvement and inspections play an essential safeguarding role and are just one part of ensuring quality services for vulnerable children.
A steering group chaired by the Department of Health and Children and comprising representatives of the Department, the chief executive officers of the health boards, the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the chief inspector of the SSI oversees the operation of the SSI. The process of inspection has been agreed. A national set of standards against which all children's residential homes both statutory and non-statutory, are being inspected was published in September 2001. A set of standards for the special care units has also issued.
An inspection of a special care unit highlighted the area of single separation as one where there is a need for guidelines. As a result my Department has established a working group to develop guidelines on the use of single separation. These guidelines will be finalised shortly.