"What You Need to Know About the Changing CQC Assessment Framework"

The CQC's single assessment framework is now active for all adult social care providers nationwide. Additionally, the new CQC provider portal is live for selected providers, though its functionality is currently limited to certain notification types.

The Single Assessment Framework aims to adopt a more dynamic, data-driven approach, prioritizing people's experiences in regulation and assessment.

As a care provider, it's essential to understand the new inspection regime and the potential impact of these significant regulatory changes. This article is designed to help you grasp the details of the CQC's new inspection and assessment framework and the reasons behind these changes.

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The Care Quality Commission conducts regular inspections of all adult social care providers. The frequency of these inspections depends on the provider's previous rating and the CQC's risk analysis. These reviews are designed to ensure that health and social care services deliver care that is safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led.

During an inspection, the CQC listens to various stakeholders, including people receiving care, their families, staff members, and other health and social care professionals. They actively seek and consider feedback and concerns from those receiving care and their loved ones. If problems are identified or standards are not met, the CQC takes appropriate action to ensure compliance with health and social care regulations.

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The Care Quality Commission is introducing changes to its inspection model in phases, ensuring transparency about how these changes will affect health and care providers. The new framework is being released gradually so that providers and other stakeholders have time to become familiar with the updates.

This new CQC assessment framework focuses on fostering safety cultures that are capable of learning and improving over time, with systems designed to plan and deliver safe, person-centred care.

The rating scale—Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate—will remain unchanged, as will the CQC's five key questions (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led). However, the methods used to assess these standards and determine overall ratings will undergo significant changes. These include:

Inspection and Rating Methodology:

 Updates to how inspections are conducted and how ratings are assigned.

New Evidence-Scoring System:

Factual Accuracy:

CQC Inspector Roles:

These adjustments aim to create a more dynamic, data-driven approach to regulation, ensuring that care services can continuously improve and provide high-quality care.

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Summary of the 6 Changes to Expect from the CQC:

CQC Single Assessment Framework

The CQC is transitioning from three separate assessment frameworks (for hospitals, adult social care, and primary medical services) to a single, unified assessment framework. This new framework aims to streamline and simplify the process, providing one clear set of expectations for what constitutes quality care and good service.

CQC Quality Statements and Topic Areas

Changes to the Nature and Timing of Inspections

The New Scoring System

Better Turnaround Time

The Factual Accuracy Process

These changes aim to create a more dynamic, data-driven approach to regulation, ensuring care services can continuously improve and maintain high standards of quality and safety.

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