Unpacking the CQC strategy

How will the new CQC strategy bring positive change to your care organisation?

2023 marks a significant year for the Care Quality Commission (CQC), as it rolls out a new strategy aimed at driving positive change within care organisations across the country.

In this blog post, we delve into the details of the new CQC strategy, exploring the changes, ambitions, and opportunities it presents for your care organisation. We also share some top tips from Louie Werth at Care Research who helps to unpack this new framework.

Embracing Change for a Brighter Future

As we step into a new era of healthcare, the CQC has taken a bold step towards transforming its approach to regulation. The driving force behind this change is the need for a more flexible and reactive model, especially in light of the lessons learned during the pandemic. The CQC aims to create a system that reflects real-life needs and experiences while ensuring safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care for all. But what exactly is changing and how can your organisation benefit from it?

In this episode of What The HealthTech, Louie shares his wealth of knowledge and expertise on preparing your organisation for CQC inspections. He discusses the key elements that CQC assessors look for in line with the new framework, as well as practical strategies to achieve and maintain compliance.

Here’s Louie’s top tips on what you can do now to get CQC ready:

🔹 The first thing is go to the CQC website, everything that we know is there so you can start to spend a bit more time thinking about the three main areas of the new framework and get your head around the quality statements, evidence categories and the scoring framework.

🔹 The next thing is have a really serious look at your feedback processes. I think a lot of services have recognised we need to review feedback processes and it maybe that you partner with an organisation like ourselves, you might work with your quality team to develop something, but your feedback processes have to be better than they currently are and I can say that because no matter what service you are running or how well you’re doing your feedback, it will not be at the level that the CQC is expecting.

🔹 The third thing is to start to share information with your staff. What I’ve found is that a lot of our webinars, training days have been full of SMT and leadership, which is great but it is important that general managers translate this to the whole team.

The Essence of the New CQC Strategy

While the core purpose and values of the CQC remain steadfast, the strategy’s implementation is undergoing a significant overhaul. The CQC’s mission remains centered on ensuring health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care, while also encouraging continuous improvement. However, the approach to achieving these goals is evolving to better address the challenges faced in the industry.

The New Single Assessment Framework: A Simplified Approach

One of the cornerstones of the new strategy is the introduction of a single assessment framework. This framework replaces multiple assessments with a streamlined, unified approach. The familiar quality statements—focusing on safety, effectiveness, responsiveness, leadership, and care—continue to be pivotal. However, Key Lines of Enquiries (KLOEs) are being replaced to new quality statements that providers, commissioners, and system leaders must uphold.

In line with the people-focused approach, the CQC has introduced six new evidence categories, including people’s experiences, feedback from staff and leaders, observations of care, feedback from partners, processes, and outcomes of care. This holistic approach provides a comprehensive view of care quality and helps organisations identify areas for improvement.

Seizing the Opportunity for Positive Change

As the CQC’s new strategy unfolds, your care organisation has a unique opportunity to drive positive change and enhance the quality of care you provide. By understanding the strategy’s nuances, embracing technology-driven solutions, and fostering a culture of learning and improvement, you can position your organization for success in the evolving landscape of health and social care.

The time for action is now. Embrace the CQC’s new strategy, leverage technology to your advantage, and embark on a journey of continuous improvement that will not only meet regulatory standards but also enhance the well-being and quality of life for those you serve.