The best way to prepare for the CQC is to organise a mock inspection with our team.
CQC Inspections are usually unannounced or announced at short notice. Working with an approved and experienced consultant panel across England, we can help you feel confident and prepared for when the time comes.
We have the expertise to support you in identifying and addressing any potential issues in your social care setting before they come to the attention of the CQC. Our aim is to assist you in rectifying these issues and ensuring that you can deliver a high-quality service that meets regulatory standards.
With the CQC rolling out the New Framework and Quality Statements, we are pleased to offer our bespoke Quality Statement (QS) audits and mock inspections. These have been meticulously designed to align with the new framework, serving as strategic tools that provide insights to managers and providers on how they will be inspected in this new way. Our tailored services are crafted to align as closely as possible with the upcoming QS framework, based on the information provided and the limited time on site. Since the framework is not yet finalised by the CQC and is subject to potential changes, our services may be adjusted accordingly over time.
What happens during a mock inspection?
Social Care Mock CQC inspections take place in a similar fashion to a CQC inspection. However, we consult with each social care provider to agree on the format and style of the visit based on your specific requirements.
It’s important to acknowledge that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has confirmed they will not check every QS on each visit, and our offerings are designed to be in line with current expectations, recognising the dynamic nature of the regulatory landscape.
Inspections can also be tailored to focus on specific areas that you feel require particular attention or be more bespoke, such as, but not limited to:
- Good Governance inspections
- Safeguarding investigations
- Core risk audits
- Medication audits
- Staff file audits
- Specific regulation/KLOE inspections
- Any thematic review
All reports are internally quality checked and are typically delivered within 7-10 working days.
Pricing
Benefit from an onsite visit conducted by an experienced Care 4 Quality consultant, tailored to your social care setting and specific area of service provision. The visit comprehensively covers all Fundamental Standards outlined in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
What you receive from the visit:
- A Full Audit Report addressing the 5 key questions: Is the service Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-Led.
- An action plan derived from the compliance judgments of your visiting consultant, serving as an ongoing ‘live’ internal document.
Two-Day Mock inspections under the Quality Statements
Comprehensive evaluations spanning two days to undertake a review of the service against all Quality Statements (QS) whilst gathering feedback from stakeholders and reviewing how the service gathers opinions in order to provide a deeper approach to listening to people’s experiences.
These can be provided in two ways – 1 day onsite and 1 day remote, or two days onsite.
• Total for 2 days: £1,820 (exc. VAT)
One-Day Snapshot Mock (Onsite):
Concentrated onsite assessment covering core Quality Statements. Prioritised evaluation of key risk areas.
• Price: £910 (exc. VAT)
Note: This option covers core QS and as many as feasible within one day.
One or Two Day Evidence Gathering Visit (Onsite):
This option involves supporting the manager and team in gathering evidence against the QS and its location and documenting this on our quality statement evidence spreadsheet along with reviewing the quality of the evidence and providing scoring to that to gauge compliance.
• Price: £910 (exc. VAT) per day
Providing a scored evidence spreadsheet (of areas looked at) within 7-10 working days.
NB: All fees stated are inclusive of travel and expenses.
FAQs
Our standard lead time is 3-4 weeks. However, for visits that are urgently required, we will always make every effort to accommodate your time scale.
We can generally conduct mock CQC inspections for any Social Care Service that falls under the regulatory framework of the CQC. This includes a variety of services such as:
- Residential Care Homes
- Residential LD services
- Support Living
- Nursing Homes
- Mental Health Hospitals
- Domiciliary Care
- Rehabs
Our offering includes either ‘Comprehensive’ or ‘Targeted’ inspections.
We may be able to support you if your service is specialist. Please contact us to find out more.
The duration of the inspection is typically determined by the size and type of service. In most cases, we recommend booking 1-2 days. Detailed pricing information is provided above, but we will discuss this with you to ensure the service needs are met with the appropriate amount of time on-site.
During the mock inspection, our consultant will be on-site for 1 or 2 days as agreed, and will review the service in line with the CQC regulations and 5 key questions. This comprehensive assessment will include reviewing documents, such as care plans, risk assessments, staff files, health and safety documents, the environment, governance processes, quality assurance procedures, and activities. Additionally, the consultant will speak with staff and, where possible, service users to gain insights in to the service’s overall quality and compliance.
Our experienced consultants have diverse backgrounds, which we will match to suit the needs of your service. This includes individuals with previous experience as service managers, operations managers, ex CQC inspectors, and local authority officers. For instance, if your service has specific specialisms, we take extra care to assign a consultant with expertise in those areas
Following an on-site visit, we will provide you with a detailed report of our findings and an action plan within 7-10 working days of the visit. This will include feedback from people and staff and an audit of your governance systems.
We will also include a list of potential breaches of the relevant regulations and recommendations for improvement.
We can follow up and support you with additional services as needed.
Targeted inspections will focus on specific areas of concern or a specific key question that you feel may be an issue.
We offer remote and virtual audits. Upon scheduling, we will provide you with the necessary details of the for the remote audit, which may involve requesting secure access to any relevant information that may be stored electronically. The remote audit report and action plan will be sent to you within 7-10 working days of the scheduled audit date. You may need access to a portable video call device so that we can remotely view the premises (where applicable).
After conducting a mock CQC inspection, we can provide ongoing support to help you resolve any identified issues, embed best practices, and continue to make ongoing improvements in your service.
Yes, we provide support for services dealing with enforcement action, extending our assistance up to the tribunal if necessary. Where required, we work alongside regulatory solicitors or your personal solicitors to ensure comprehensive support for ongoing compliance improvement and the necessary evidence.
Our Happy Clients.
We're incredibly proud to help our clients become and remain compliant with the CQC.
We are passionate about supporting health and social care providers, helping them in achieving and maintaining CQC compliance. Here are just a few of the clients with whom we have the privilege to work with.
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