The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is to fund training in equality and human rights for Care Quality Commission (CQC) staff to ensure the human rights of people who use health and social care services are upheld.

The Commission worked with the British Institute of Human Rights and CQC to develop a learning programme so that inspectors and other staff are fully equipped to identify threats, and also recognise good practice, in hospitals, care homes and other provider organisations.
 
For sectors such as acute hospitals, specialist mental health and learning disability services and residential adult social care, where the rights of service users tend to be most at risk, inspection teams will have role specific training.
 
Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Mark Hammond said: “This training will help health and care professionals fulfil their human rights responsibilities with confidence, help ensure the needs of patients and service users are put first, and their human rights to dignity, choice, privacy and differing needs are fully respected.”
 
Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission David Behan added: “We know from our work there is variation in the quality of care and that not everyone gets the care they need. This imbalance must be addressed and working with our partners the British Institute of Human Rights and the Equality and Human Rights Commission will help us to achieve this.
 
“All of our inspections take into account human rights and equality and we must continue to embed a human rights and equalities approach across all our work.”