To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how his Department monitors the service delivery standards of private home help firms to ensure that client needs are fully met.

The information is not available in the form requested. Home help services can be provided by a range of providers including the HSC, voluntary sector and domiciliary care agencies as one of a range of services they may choose to provide.

All domiciliary care services are monitored by RQIA against minimum standards to ensure that, regardless of the provider, they are of suitable quality. RQIA inspects against these standards for both statutory sector providers and independent sector providers. These standards include the provision of a written agreement between the provider and the service user which sets out the care and services to be provided and arrangements for reviewing the agreement. In addition to the standards, the HSC undertakes regular reviews of service users needs to ensure that services provided remain appropriate to those needs.