ABSTRACT
Monitoring can be defined as the day-to-day routine checking of what is going on. It notes divergencies from standards that have been set. Instead of looking at everything, the person doing the monitoring would check a few operations selected at random, and from that would have a good idea whether standards were being met. The aim of Norfolk's Arm's Length Inspection Unit is to improve the quality of life for people living in residential homes managed by the statutory and independent sector. Customers are given a form asking them to comment on the quality of the service they have received. The Department of Health has published Inspecting for Quality — guidance on practice for inspection units. The result was that new standards were set and agreed by a joint planning team comprising health, education, social services and organisations representing parents.
