Laura Hannah, CQC regulation specialist and solicitor, Stephensons, explains why care home providers must challenge decisions that are not accurate or consistent with the CQC’s strategy and framework in order to protect their businesses and reputations
Many registered care providers will no doubt agree that an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) can be a daunting prospect. While a home may have been rated ‘good’ or even ‘outstanding’ at a previous inspection, there is no guarantee that it will get the same rating at the next one.
Most inspections are unannounced and can last a number of days, during which time there are often several inspectors observing care practices and trawling through records. This can be overwhelming for managers and staff who are faced with answering a series of questions under pressured circumstances. It is therefore not surprising that the ratings awarded are not always as expected.
Over the past few years, the CQC has radically changed its approach to regulating adult social care services. This has undoubtedly been a difficult challenge for providers, both from a financial and a regulatory perspective. In particular, there has been an increase in demand as well as a reduction in funding and this has put increasing pressure on care providers to control costs.
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