Preparing for a CQC inspection can be stressful. Working with an organisation like the HLTH Group could be the answer, as our suite of CQC solutions is designed to provide an all-in-one solution for healthcare providers.
What are the Care Quality Commission looking for?
The purpose of CQC inspections is to ensure that people are cared for in an effective and dignified way, and to support those offering this care. CQC inspections aren’t designed to catch people out, or to “name and shame” they’re designed to offer concrete suggestions for improvement, as well as a concrete framework for praise. The role of CQC is to help everyone have the best possible experience of care.
CQC judgements are measured against the CQC policies and procedures. These judgements are built from direct observation of people’s experience of the care being given, as well as conversations with caregiving teams and families of those living in a care environment.
How can you prepare for a CQC inspection?
Although CQC visits are unannounced, there are various ways you can make sure you’re prepared for your inspection and be sure you’re delivering care to the very best standard. Here are our suggestions to help you achieve outstanding status.
• Read CQC guidelines to help registered managers and teams understand their responsibilities
• Review any reports from previous inspections to be sure that areas for improvement have been actioned
• Review reports of similar service providers to understand what best practice looks like – visit and chat with others too, to offer mutual support
• Review your appraisal, training, and meeting programmes to be sure you’re offering the best support and development to every member of your team
• Have the outcome for those needing care and support at the forefront of your reviews
• Set plans for mock CQC inspections to develop strong systems for universal quality assurance
• Develop documentation, review and reporting systems that are easy to use and easy to action. All managers should be able to access these documents
• Explore resources from providers like the HLTH Group to help with different areas of preparation
• Have regular conversations with your team about compliance and confidence
Any inspection can make you and your team feel uneasy and by striving to make best practice the norm, rather than a showcase for inspection day this uneasiness is reduced. A simple checklist and a solid understanding of the purpose and methodology behind CQC inspections can help to reach the goal of giving care that is outstanding, every day.