The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is introducing a new way of inspecting and rating adult social care services in England.
The new system will start in October 2019. The CQC will publish its first batch of new-style reports in early 2020.
The CQC has been working with providers, commissioners, people who use services, and other experts to develop the new system.
The new inspection regime will see CQC inspectors focus on five key areas:
• are people safe?
• are they treated with compassion, dignity and respect?
• are their care and support needs met?
• are they involved in decisions about their care and support?
• do they experience good care?
The CQC will also give ratings of requires improvement and outstanding for each of these five key areas.
We asked Jill Manning, Partner and Head of Regulatory at Hempsons, and Sarah Markie, Solicitor in the Regulatory Team at Hempsons, to share their insights into the new CQC rating system.
Jill Manning, Partner and Head of Regulatory at Hempsons:
“The new CQC rating system is a welcome development. It will help to drive up standards in the care sector and provide greater clarity for providers, commissioners and people who use services.
It is important to remember that the system is still in its early stages, and we are likely to see some teething problems as it is rolled out. However, overall, it is a positive step forward.”
Sarah Markie, Solicitor in the Regulatory Team at Hempsons:
“The big change with the new system is that the CQC will now give a separate rating for each of the five key areas. This is a significant departure from the current system, where providers are given an overall rating of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate.
The new system will provide a more nuanced picture of the quality of care being provided. For example, a service could be rated Good for safety and treatment of people with dignity and respect, but Requires Improvement for meeting people’s care and support needs.
The new system will also see the CQC paying more attention to the experiences of people who use services. This is a positive development, as it will help to ensure that services are designed and delivered in a way that meets people’s needs and preferences.”
What do you think of the new CQC rating system?
The new CQC rating system is a welcome development. It will help to drive up standards in the care sector and provide greater clarity for providers, commissioners and people who use services.
It is important to remember that the system is still in its early stages, and we are likely to see some teething problems as it is rolled out. However, overall, it is a positive step forward.