CQC - standards for health and social care providers
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The Department of Health with the CQC has issued their consultation document on the new Fundamental Standards that will replace the Essential Standards of Quality and Safety by the end of the year.
The Fundamental Standards aim to provide a more practical approach to inspection and regulation.
The CQC say that the aim of the new way to regulate is to ask 5 questions in relation to the new fundamental standards, rather than looking at detailed regulations.
The 5 questions they will ask all providers are:
- Is it safe?
- Is it effective?
- Is it responsive?
- Is it caring?
- Is it well-led?
Martha Walker, CQC Advisor to IDF says that the current Essential Standards have been replaced by easier to understand standards and more commonsense statements of expectation:
- All care and treatment provided to service users must be appropriate and safe
- All care and treatment must reflect a service user’s needs and preferences
- Service users must be treated with dignity and respect
- Service users must not be subjected to abuse.
- Employees must be of good character, have the qualifications, skills and experience
- The registered person must deploy sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced persons
- All care and treatment must only be provided with, and in accordance with the consent of the relevant person
- All premises and equipment used by the registered provider must be clean, safe, secure, suitable, properly used and maintained
- Any complaint received must be appropriately investigated and appropriate action must be taken in response
- The nutritional needs of service users must be met
- Good governance
Please take an hour of your time to read the Consultation paper and respond to it:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fundamental-standards-for-health-and-social-care-providers
The deadline is April 4th .