Over the holiday season, we received the long-awaited Christmas Gift – the release of a report by the CQC, conducted under the new Single Assessment Framework. Like many other professionals, we have thoroughly examined this report in order to extract valuable insights
What is there to know about this inspection and its subsequent report?
The inspection took place over 1 day onsite and 5 further days remotely. “We carried out our on-site assessment on 06 December 2023, off site assessment activity started on 06 December 2023 and ended on 11 December 2023.”
Within the report, information is not shared on what exactly was seen on-site or requested remotely. It appears that individuals were interviewed for feedback and experience with the service although the exact number was not specified. “People told us they felt safe, knew staff well and felt confident to raise any concerns. People told us they were involved in planning their care and were asked for feedback regularly.”
The noticeable difference is how the report is condensed which enhances readability and ensures concise information. However it does not provide many details regarding the reviewed evidence in certain areas.
The scoring is present throughout the report, which is easy to follow and clear when the score has been pulled from the previous rating if the Quality Statement was not reviewed.
The score in each section is also totalled out of 100; however, in the overall section, there is no total scorecard to show quick clarification for the ratings.
As advised, the report cannot currently be printed in full as a PDF. We hope this will return in future as this can help the information to be more accessible to a wider audience and facilitate sharing without reliance on a computer.
What was reviewed?
From the new Quality Statements, only 5 of a possible 32 (in this single case) were reviewed as per the table below:
| Quality Statement | Key Question |
| Safeguarding | SAFE |
| Involving people to manage risks | SAFE |
| Safe and Effective Staffing | SAFE |
| Independence, choice, and control | CARING |
| Equity in Experiences and Outcomes | RESPONSIVE |
It is unclear if these are the main Quality Statements that will be reviewed if a service was previously rated GOOD and presumably, has no current reasons for concern.
What is clear though, is the importance of maintaining a safe environment and promoting independence, choice, and involvement. However, we have noticed how the Quality Statement, Safe Environment, is not mentioned within the Key Question Safe for this domiciliary care, or anywhere else in the report. While we acknowledge the environment is the person’s home, we are curious about the approach to regulating and maintaining staff safety within the person’s home environment. This will be something we will continue to monitor as new reports are released to further understand how quality statements may vary across different domains.
This inspection and report is likely a gentle start as the CQC continue to implement and adapt their approach accordingly with the new SAF in use.
What can we do to prepare?
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. Our tailored services are crafted to align as closely as we currently can, with the draft QS framework from the information provided and limited time on site. As the framework is not yet finalised by the CQC and is subject to potential changes, our services may be adjusted accordingly over time.
We are offering:
- 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.
- One-Day Snapshot Mock (Onsite): Concentrated onsite assessment covering core Quality Statements. Prioritized evaluation of key risk areas.
Following the new report release, it was also a great opportunity to test our new Single Assessment Framework scoring prototype. We hope this will aid services with evidence gathering, self-assessment, and oversight of potential ratings with automatic adjustments for shortfalls. We hope this will help to highlight focus points for services.
Please see the screenshots below adapted to the recently released report and get in touch if you have further questions or would like our support in gathering evidence for your service or perhaps to conduct a mock inspection.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU
Our CQC Single Assessment Framework Scoring Prortotype:
Source: https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-142588772/reports/AP1031/overall/safe
