The CQC are the independent regulator of health and social care in England. They make sure that health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to continuously improve. To do this, they inspect and rate all adult social care services in England.
When a service is inspected, they will ask the provider a number of questions. These will be about the running of the service, how it is meeting the needs of the people using it and the experiences of the staff who work there.
The provider will be asked to provide evidence to support their answers. This could be in the form of care plans, records, policies or other documentation. The CQC will also speak to the people who use the service, their relatives and the staff who work there.
After the inspection, the CQC will publish a report which will give the service a rating. This will be based on how well it is meeting the essential standards of quality and safety.
If a service is not meeting one or more of the essential standards, the CQC will take action to make sure it improves. This could involve working with the provider to help them make the necessary changes, or, in the most serious cases, taking action to stop the service from operating.
If you have any concerns about the quality of care being provided by a social care service, you can contact the CQC to raise your concerns.