Last week CQC published its business plan for 2014/15 to 2015/16. The plan sets out how CQC will make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care, and encourage them to improve. This is in line with CQC’s purpose.
In particular, the business plan sets out CQC’s priorities which include:
- Putting people’s views at the heart of everything it does by collecting feedback from people who use services and staff as well as viewing complaints, concerns and whistleblowing information to inform its regulatory judgements.
- Introducing the new approach to how CQC monitor, inspect, regulate and take enforcement action including working with other regulators and partner organisations covering all sectors it regulates.
- Providing authoritative reports on services which will highlight improvement and celebrate success.
- Supporting CQC staff to carry out CQC functions effectively. This includes building a transparent and ‘just’ culture and managing the performance of CQC staff effectively and efficiently.
Significant points to note include:
- The business plan states that guidance on both how the fundamental standards will be applied in CQC’s regulation of each sector and CQC’s new enforcement strategy will have been consulted on and completed by October 2014.
- The business plan sets out the dates which CQC expects to have implemented its new inspection approach, completed its first round of inspections and published ratings for all providers in each sector. For example, in relation to residential adult social care CQC will roll out the new inspection process from October 2014, the first ratings are expected to be published in October 2014 and CQC will have inspected and rated all providers in residential adult social care by April 2016.
- As part of the new inspection regime, CQC will be collecting ‘intelligent monitoring’ data for each service which they intend to publish. The business plan sets out deadlines for when the first sets of data will be produced for each sector.
- CQC intend to introduce the ‘fit and proper person test’ for directors (or equivalent managers) and introduce the duty of candour requirements into provider registration by October 2014.
- CQC will be publishing reports on a number of thematic inspections such as dementia care and end of life care throughout 2014-16.
