Where is the Quality in Adult Social Care?
My attention was drawn this week to the first annual report from the newly formed Care Quality Commission (CQC), the health and social care regulator for England. This was always going to make big waves within the broadcast media. Websites, television and newspapers alike all earnestly reported a perceived breakdown of standards within the care industry.
The CQC report, issued on the 3rd December 2009, covers independent providers of care homes, as well as an assessment of England’s local authorities. One in four care homes for the elderly were reported as only ‘adequate’. Eight councils were also given the adequate grading for their care provision, plus the CQC also urged councils generally to do more to drive up standards in the voluntary and private sector.
The CQC only came into being in April 2009, bringing together the functions of three regulators - the Healthcare Commission, Commission for Social Care Inspection and Mental Health Act Commission. It is in charge of inspecting, rating and assessing NHS trusts, councils, private companies and charities involved in health and social care provision. Under new powers being phased in, it has the power to fine and close services that are failing and is demanding providers meet certain standards before they can even register with the regulator.
The management of documentation is a key part of compliance with CQC regulations. Evidence of consistent management processes need to be recorded and used to provide assurance that care quality standards are being maintained. To provide social care, be it as a local authority or a private organisation, there is a need to submit proof of compliance at key stages of a licence application, as well as annually for an organisation to continue providing care services.
A notorious example of negligence in social care can be seen in the BBC Panorama programme ‘Britain’s Homecare Scandal’ which first aired on 9th April 2009. Damning evidence of malpractice amongst a number of care providers was uncovered. Scenes of disastrous mismanagement of care worker schedules and training plans on the part of the care provider were played out to a chorus of ‘not available to comment’ from the organisations concerned. Evidence could also be seen of misuse of confidential customer records, out-dated paper copies ‘filed’ on the back seat of a car, customer prescriptions and details of medical conditions available for all to see.
Our customers within the healthcare profession have been using EQMS for some time to standardise quality improvement processes, systematically disseminate information, manage staff training and to recognise and address poor performance. To understand further how EQMS is helping people within social care provision please visit the Who We Work With section of our website.
With the advent of the new CQC regulatory system a much clearer understanding of exactly what is required of a care provider is now available. The very public release of annual reports that highlight where the system is failing its customers will ensure that the high levels of support expected by their patients will hopefully be attained and maintained by the providers of social care.
James Bywood. Contact James at: james.bywood@qualsys.co.uk
For information about Qualsys contact Robert Oakley on +44 (0)114 282 3338.
Email robert.oakley@qualsys.co.uk
4th December 2009
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- 2Care required an electronic Quality Management solution to reduce the duplication of documentation and speed up communication between themselves and the residential care projects they managed.
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