Local authority

Local authority (LA) involvement in care homes includes social services, contract monitoring and safeguarding.

Local councils have contracting teams who are responsible for ensuring care homes meet the standards set out in their contracts for people who have funded places in care homes.

There is a responsibility to see that public money is being spent wisely in funding care home places for people entitled to funding.

Pharmacy teams must contact these contracting teams if they have any concerns about the care being provided to people living in care homes. This process can vary, so it is important for teams to be familiar with their protocol of escalating concerns. Reporting safeguarding incidents on internal systems is not sufficient. Any safeguarding concern must be reported to a LA safeguarding team, because LA adult social services have statutory responsibility for the safety of adults in care homes.