CQC Inspection Reports: Getting it right Mei-Ling Huang, Royds Withy King Health & social care team

Social care team: Our services employment and immigration law CQC registration and compliance challenging CQC inspections, ratings and enforcement service user contracts fees and funding advice local authority contracts and fee negotiations safeguarding and inquests mental capacity, Court of Protection, DOLS advice business sales and acquisitions property development, construction and finance

Topics inspections factual accuracy challenges ratings

Inspections understand and use the system advocate for your service

Inspection Process 10 working days confirm the actual deadline only evidence will persuade the inspector

Inspections establish a good relationship with your inspector report safeguarding incidents prepare your staff organise your documents explain things clearly fix problems correct misperceptions during the feedback session check the draft report carefully for accuracy

Inspections SSP Health Limited v. CQC “[A]n independent person within the CQC itself, applying common sense as well as his or her professional expertise, should be able to tell fairly swiftly whether there is or is not a legitimate grievance about the lead inspector’s failure to correct the report. Such a person should be much better placed to resolve that grievance than this court is."  CQC must undertake a review of its factual accuracy response.

Factual Accuracy Factual accuracy log format section A - typographical errors section B - challenges to accuracy/provide your evidence  section C – additional information left out of the report

Factual Accuracy   make all your arguments and provide CQC with the evidence tell CQC how the rating is affected use section C to add positive evidence

Ratings Figures taken from “The State of Adult Social Care Services 2014 – 2017” since 2014, ratings have been improving there are concerns about services rated as “requires improvement” getting stuck CQC is coming down harder on them

Ratings Residential homes as of 5 May 2017: 1% outstanding 80% good 18% requires improvement 1% inadequate

Ratings Nursing homes 1% outstanding 67% good 29% requires improvement 3% inadequate

Ratings Home care 2% outstanding 80% good 18% requires improvement 1% inadequate

Ratings Are ratings standard? “We will be clearer when services are good with outstanding features and where the rating of requires improvement does and does not entail a breach of regulations”.  CQC

Ratings reviews procedural argument 500 words.

Ratings reviews Outcomes of 387 cases, 30/06/17 Review on-going/paused 25 (6%) Not reviewed (no grounds/other resolution)    301 (78%) Rating increased    21 (5.4%) Rating decreased    1 (0.2%) Mixed outcome (ratings increased and decreased)    0 (0%) No change to rating    39 (10%)

Conclusion Factual accuracy logs are very important. They have important ramifications: Ratings Enforcement action Placements – especially for self-funders If you feel that your draft report is not accurate, use the FAC process. Questions?