CQC Inspections Planned for 2022

Following a recent announcement about increased CQC inspections, if you are a new registered company or a provider stuck on the ‘Requires Improvement’ rating, the CQC may be about to pay you a visit.

The CQC have made it very clear that they do not intend to carry out a programme of ‘Routine frequency-based’ inspections, however, this does not mean that inspections are not going to take place.

Planned CQC Inspections

The regulator has outlined that it plans to:

• Continue the risk-based approach where risk has been identified.
• Have a new inspection programme in place to rate ‘adult’ social care services that are registered and have not yet been rated.
• Inspect providers that are currently rated a ‘Requires Improvement’ in order to identify where improvement has taken pace and provide another rating where possible.

Key Inspection Guidance

Being prepared for the inspection is essential, here are some pointers for you to consider:

1. Is the ‘Statement of Purpose in place and up to date?
2. Are Service User Guides in place and up to date?
3. Are your policies and procedures reviewed?
   1. Have all employees read the policies and have they been signed by all?
4. Is the Responsible Person named in the polices, have they themselves read, reviewed where applicable and signed them?
5. Are all the service users records, service register, contact details clear concise, reviewed, stored correctly and audited.
6. Records kept of any accidents, incidents, serious adverse events, medication errors for the last twelve months?
   1. Do the records show the actions, how they were implemented and shared with the team?
7. Do you have annual summary of any complaints, concerns that you have received within the last twelve months?
   1. Does the summary show the actions, how they were implemented and shared with the team?
8. Review of Service Users care plans and risk assessment?
   1. Medication reviews are completed in line with policies.
   2. Capacity assessments in place.
   3. Appointee documentation.
   4. PEEPS.
   5. End of life, DNACPR
   6. Accessible format information is available and is signed and dated by the relevant individuals?
   7. Can you evidence the Service Users involvement in this process?
9. Evidence that quality assurance, governance meetings and audits are taking place and action plans are completed.
10. Are the following health & safety areas complete and in date?
    1. Risk Assessments including, Fire, legionella.
    2. Equipment checks, through examinations etc.
    3. Fire equipment checks, servicing.
    4. Business Continuity Plan including testing, annual servicing and maintenance schedules.
    5. Planned preventative maintenance schedule with records, certificates to demonstrate a rolling program of improvement.
11. Team meetings, service user and family meetings records are in place and are the meetings taking place on a regular basis?
12. Training matrix which reflects the needs of your service user group and where required shows consideration of the different learning styles of your employees?
    1. Induction, mandatory and specialist training clearly defined and evidence of any refresher training required?
13. Are safeguarding and notifications information up to date, ready to view in an organised way with confidential data stored correctly?
14. Where DoLS is applicable is the file up to date and do they include records of chasing application that have not been processed?

Get in touch with our Health and Safety Consultancy team today for further advice and guidance surrounding CQC inpsections.