Visual Impairment: Rehabilitation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the adequacy of the provision of vision rehabilitation specialists.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock
Ministers and officials in the Department of Health and Social Care meet regularly with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to discuss a range of issues.
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes supporting people with sight loss to develop practical skills and strategies to maintain independence.
Regarding an assessment of the adequacy and availability of vision rehabilitation services, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is now assessing how local authorities are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. These assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for development, facilitating the sharing of good practice, and helping us to target support where it is most needed. This means that sensory services, including vision rehabilitation, form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report on sensory services when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, innovative practice, or an area for improvement.
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