Ensuring that your healthcare service meets the Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards for ‘Caring’ is crucial for delivering high-quality care and receiving positive evaluations. Demonstrating ‘Caring’ involves showcasing your commitment to treating people with kindness, compassion, and respect, while also empowering both patients and staff. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you gather and present the necessary evidence.

People’s Experience

Collect feedback from a variety of sources to understand and improve the care experience:

• Feedback from patients collected by CQC, the provider, local community groups, and other stakeholders.
• Opportunities for patients to give feedback on their care experiences.

Feedback from Staff and Leaders

Engage with your team to gather insights and promote a positive workplace:

• Collect feedback from staff through CQC and the provider’s own channels.
• Solicit feedback from organisational leaders.
• Address concerns raised through whistleblowing mechanisms.

Demonstrating Kindness, Compassion, and Dignity

Treating people with empathy and respecting their privacy and dignity is fundamental. Here’s how to evidence this:

Evidence Categories

• People’s Experience: Document feedback from patients and their families.
• Feedback from Staff and Leaders: Collect and analyse feedback from your staff and leadership team.

Specific Categories

• Feedback from Partners: Obtain input from commissioners, system partners, and health and care professionals.
• Observation: Assess staff practice, including care delivery, staff culture, behaviours, and the care environment.

Treating People as Individuals

Personalised care is key to meeting the unique needs of each person. Here’s what to focus on:

Evidence Categories

• People’s Experience: Gather detailed patient feedback.
• Feedback from Staff and Leaders: Collect insights from your team and leadership.

Specific Categories

• Feedback from Partners: Engage with commissioners and other system partners, especially in supported living services.
• Observation: Evaluate staff practice and the care environment.
• Processes: Review care or clinical records to ensure they reflect individual needs and preferences.

Promoting Independence, Choice, and Control

Empower patients by promoting their independence and rights. Evidence for this includes:

Evidence Categories

• People’s Experience: Collect patient feedback focused on their sense of autonomy.
• Feedback from Staff and Leaders: Document staff and leader perspectives on patient empowerment.

Specific Categories

• Observation: Monitor staff practice, the care environment, and equipment used to promote independence.
• Processes: Ensure care or clinical records demonstrate how patient choice and control are supported.

Responding to People’s Immediate Needs

Quickly addressing patients’ needs and minimising discomfort is essential. Focus on:

Evidence Categories

• People’s Experience: Capture real-time feedback from patients about their immediate care.
• Feedback from Staff and Leaders: Include staff and leader insights on responsiveness.

Specific Categories

• Observation: Evaluate staff practice and the care environment for responsiveness to patient needs.

Supporting Workforce Wellbeing and Enablement

A well-supported workforce is crucial for delivering high-quality care. Here’s how to evidence this:

Evidence Categories

• Feedback from Staff and Leaders: Gather comprehensive feedback on staff wellbeing.

Specific Categories

• Processes: Implement and monitor mechanisms to promote staff safety and wellbeing, such as:
  • Staff management policies.
  • Tracking staff sickness, vacancy, and turnover rates.

HLTH Group: Your Trusted Partner in Healthcare Compliance

Evidencing ‘Caring’ for the CQC can be a complex task, but you don’t have to do it alone. The HLTH Group is always on hand to support and advise you in gathering and presenting the necessary evidence. With our expertise, you can ensure your service not only meets but exceeds the CQC standards, providing exceptional care to those who need it most.

By focusing on these evidence categories and working closely with stakeholders, you can demonstrate your commitment to high-quality, compassionate care, ensuring positive outcomes for both patients and staff.