Changes to CQC Assessments

CQC residential care and inspection specialist, Ed Watkinson explains how The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is changing it's assessments and why.

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These changes will alter the relationship between the CQC and you as care providers, as it moves to a continual assessment framework. Providerswill show how effective their care is through sharing information.

_{Why is the CQC changing the assessments?}

The regulatorwants to embed learning from COVID-19, particularly around how peoplecan work more effectively remotely, and the importance of safety andgovernance when delivering services.

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For 12 years the CQC said it wants to focus on outcomes for service users. The single assessment is an attempt to achieve that. It has committed to being more responsive and pro-active. Although lot's is staying the same, inspections will be different.

_{What’s staying the same?}

The standards providers will be assessed by will stay, as will the five key questions; Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.

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The ratings of outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate, will also remain the same.

The Provider Information Return (PIR) will also stay. Providers will complete this annually. The principles of registration and monitoring, notifications and enforcement activity are unchanged.

_{What’s changing?}

There will now be a single assessment framework, using the same criteria for all services. Key questions will be phrased as ‘I’ statements, coming from the viewpoint of service users, putting their views right at the fore.

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Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) will be replaced by 34 straight forward short ‘quality statements’, detailing what providers should be doing.

Timing of inspections will not relate to ratings. The CQC will be more responsive and act when they have evidence things have changed. The new framework relies on providers drip-feeding information, which the CQC will assess continuously. Evidence will be specific to a service and will focus on issues relevant to the local area.

_{A new way of working}

There will be shorter, more focused reports for service users. The CQC will provide updates on quality of service, and monthly check-ins, updated on the website. There will be a drip-feeding of shared information, with the aim of building closer relationships.

_{Would you like to know more?}

Call our Risk Control Team, on 01273 424 904 or email at riskcontrol@qcaregroup.co.uk

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