The CQC conducts inspections to assess whether services are meeting the required standards. During an inspection, five key questions are inspected to all services to ensure the focus remains on what is important to individuals:
The inspector can be provided with a temporary login to access the relevant information required for their assessment. This temporary access ensures that the inspector can view and evaluate only the data pertinent to their inspection, maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of unrelated resident and staff information. By restricting access to necessary data, we safeguard sensitive information while still providing the inspector with all the tools they need for a thorough and accurate assessment. This approach not only facilitates a smooth inspection process but also upholds the highest standards of data security and privacy compliance.
After inspections, the CQC publishes reports and ratings, which help inform the public about the quality of care provided. Ratings can be:
Inspection frequency for existing care providers depends on their previous ratings. Providers rated as Outstanding are typically inspected every five years.
Inspection frequency for existing care providers depends on their previous ratings. Providers rated as Good are inspected every five years.
This means they will undergo annual inspections until the service is assessed and found to have improved.
Services rated as 'Inadequate' will be inspected every six months, as urgent improvements are deemed necessary.
Providers are encouraged to continuously improve their services and care quality to maintain compliance and achieve better ratings.