The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will inspect a care home every 1 – 5 years, depending on what your current CQC rating is. Of course, it’s any managers’ goal to get the highest possible rating – but how can you assure it is achieved?
In this article, we’re going to help you on your way to achieving, or maintaining, an Outstanding rating!
What Are The CQC Ratings?
There are 4 possible ratings you can achieve, which are:
- Outstanding – the service is performing extremely well
- Good – the service is performing well and meeting all expectations
- Requires improvement – the service is not performing as well as it should and the service has been given points to improve on
- Inadequate – the service is performing badly, and the CQC will take action against the person or organisation that runs it.
As you well know, the CQC rating you get is extremely important. It is available for the world to see, including current and potential users of your service.
A good rating and your organisation will thrive. A bad one, and it can see the demand for your services drastically reduced, making it harder to operate.
What Is The CQC Ratings Criteria?
When a CQC inspection is being carried out, the service provided will be assessed against the following:
Safety – Are the residents, service users, and staff safe, and protected from harm and abuse?
Effectiveness – Having an action plan isn’t enough, as it all needs to be proven that it is being carried out to a high level.
Care – Staff need to look after those under their care with compassion, respect, and dignity.
Responsiveness – Every resident has different needs. The service you provide has to be able to accommodate all needs – not just the majority.
Leadership – The organisation as a whole needs to be open, and encourage innovation and learning among all staff members.
Tips For Improving Your CQC Rating
Nobody wants to get a “Requires Improvement” or “Inadequate” CQC rating! At the end of the day, we aim to ensure that quality care is being provided to those who need it most. Below are some tips that will ensure that you get a great rating from the CQC, as well as continue to provide fantastic care.
Ensure that risk assessments are in place
Managers must ensure that the appropriate risk assessments are always available, and in place. Inaccurate, misplaced or risk assessments that don’t include any follow-up actions will bring down your ratings instantly.
Always Hire The Best
During a staff-shortage, it can always be tempting to lower your standards and hire someone who is nearly good enough. Don’t give into this temptation!
When doing an inspection, CQC inspectors will monitor staff closely, and will be easily able to tell if someone isn’t up to scratch. If you need more time to hire the right person, it is recommended to use a healthcare agency to provide temporary cover.
Review Previous CQC Assessments
Review your recent or past CQC assessments to compile a catalogue of any adverse remarks or feedback received.
It’s better to undertake this process collectively, rather than individually, ensuring clarity regarding everyone’s responsibilities and expectations.
Review Mandatory Training
All staff should undergo annual training to make sure they are confident in their work. It’s also important to make sure you know when refresher training is needed for each member of staff, and to help them complete it on time.
Care Plans
As mentioned earlier, the CQC wants to see you are responsive in your operations. This means that you should have care plans written to accommodate individual needs, not the general task at hand.
Read Other Inspection Reports
All CQC reports are available online since it is a public regulator. Thanks to this, you have every report at your fingertips, providing lots of opportunity for research. Reading reports for Good and Outstanding services will help give you an idea of what is required.
If you fancy doing a bit of research, you can search for Care Homes and their reports on the CQC website.
Summary – How To Improve Your CQC Rating
Improving your CQC rating isn’t something that can be done overnight, and doesn’t have a one-size fits all solution.
By making sure you have adequate plans, enough staff, and doing further research into what goes into an Outstanding service, you will be able to give your organisation a great chance at getting a top rating.
Further Reading – How To Improve Your CQC Rating
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