National chaperone policy for healthcare (England)
The Chair and Panel recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care develops a national policy for the training and use of chaperones in the treatment of children in healthcare services. The Chair and Panel recommend that the Care Quality Commission considers compliance with national chaperone policies (once implemented) in its assessments of services.
How was this assessed?
Response
Accepted
Response
AcceptedDHSC fully supports the use of chaperones for children, young people and adults at risk. DHSC will seek assurance from NHS England and CQC that the relevant organisations have chaperone protocols in place to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults in their care.
NHS England has developed chaperone guidance notes which set out clear principles of chaperoning and include examples of good practice. The guidance notes were signed off by the NHS England and NHS Improvement Executive team in May 2019 and have been disseminated through extensive communication channels. DHSC will continue to require the CQC to assess providers' policies and protocols on their inspection visits.
On 22 July 2019, the UK government stated that NHS England had developed chaperone guidance notes which set out principles of chaperoning and included examples of good practice. It also stated that the Department for Health and Social Care would continue to require the Care Quality Commission to assess providers' policies and protocols on their inspection visits.