CQC’s programme of Independent Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews (ICETRs)

We recently announced that the Department of Health and Social Care asked us to take a lead on ICETRs for the next 2 years.

This followed one of the recommendations made in Baroness Hollins' report, published last Autumn.

Review panels will start in late May. We will focus on ensuring that people who are autistic or who have a learning disability have an independent care and treatment review to move out of long term segregation and our wider aim of this programme is to reduce the use of long-term segregation nationally.

We will follow the previous process for setting up reviews and will contact hospitals and families through NHS local support systems that are already in place.

Background

We published our Out of Sight report in 2019. This highlighted where progress was needed to reduce the use of restrictive practice for people with mental ill health, people with a learning disability and autistic people. The report was clear that everyone should receive high-quality, person-centred care and be supported to live in their communities. If people need care in hospital, this should be given by the right staff who are trained to support their needs. From the point they are admitted, the aim should be that people become well enough to leave hospital.

Following 'Out of Sight', the Secretary of State announced that all autistic people and people with a learning disability in long-term segregation would have their care independently reviewed.