Now is the time for care companies to look at how they operate - Mick Feather

With upcoming changes from the Care Quality Commission later in November, as they roll out their new assessment approach, now could not be a better time to look at how your own care company operates and how you need to also adapt to future developments.
By Mick Feather
Published 13th Sep 2023, 06:00 BST

At Citation Professional Solutions, we support thousands of care providers throughout the UK with their HR and Health and Safety to help keep them compliant, so they can focus on what they do best. We understand the struggles providers are faced with and have recently partnered with the Yorkshire Care Alliance (YCA) to help support the care providers they are working with. The YCA goal of supporting and facilitating change in the care sector supports our own mission and ethos. Working across the sector covering all areas of care, to empower companies and improve care standards by sharing ideas.

Having previously both been a CQC inspector, and then trained inspectors, my background in the industry is paramount in being able to provide advice based on my years of experience. Taking time out to review standards of care is not always possible in a busy care company, but as part of our involvement with the YCA, we are hosting a workshop on September 19 in Selby to enable companies to do just that. It is an exciting development and we’re looking forward to seeing the change and support that the YCA will bring to the social care sector.

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So who would benefit in attending and what can you expect on the day? Our workshop will focus on an analysis of CQC reports to identify patterns and trends of key issues that are being picked up during inspections, to help prevent falling ratings.

A care home resident with a carer in Yorkshire. PIC: Simon HulmeA care home resident with a carer in Yorkshire. PIC: Simon Hulme
A care home resident with a carer in Yorkshire. PIC: Simon Hulme

Care providers themselves rarely have time to look at the range of reports carried out by the CQC, but we analyse up to 50 reports at a time to pull out patterns and trends in the industry that affect ratings and impact care companies across the spectrum. Whilst the top 5-10 issues do change, there are core trends that we are able to highlight and provide support around.

Safety culture is key, and we will be encouraging providers to focus on this to ensure that all service users are safe. There are many plates to spin in the care sector, but safety is a fundamental priority.

This involves risk assessments of both the home/living environment itself, down to the safety of the individual service users, and regular assessments of medical conditions. Mobility also falls within this and when an individual changes from mobile to non-mobile, it all needs reviewing again – this takes time, but affects ratings if not carried out properly and in a timely manner.

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Quality assurance can be difficult and it’s important that providers share best practice and support each other. We’ll be having interactive sessions to enable these conversations so everyone will leave with proactive ideas to implement into their business. As one of the most difficult areas, it involves keeping up to date with what is going on in the service, what works well and what needs to be improved. This can be anything from boiler checks to water temperature and is one many companies fall down on. It is a case of knowing best practice and ensuring you do both regular audits and update staff about the changes.

Medication management is also absolutely key and needs administering and regularly checking. It really is all aspects of care from the building to the facilities themselves to the care provision and the individuals involved. The ‘care package’ extends much further than many people realise, and risk assessment is key throughout all aspects of care. These need to be not only demonstrated but documented and thorough records kept.

I personally have a passion for raising both individual and business’ performance by focusing on key initiatives to drive organisational change, as well as improving the overall care given in the UK. My career has revolved around this sector, and I genuinely believe we can improve it and inspire change. Literally no one benefits if a care provider's standards fall below the level they should be at, and helping companies excel instead is the motivation behind our work.

Interested in hearing more about the five key areas companies need support in for passing their CQC inspections? Why not join us along with the Yorkshire Care Alliance at the Ricall Regan Centre in Selby, on September 19 from 10am to 12.30pm. We are inviting people from across the care sector to contribute to the workshop, share ideas and expertise and work together to create positive change. Whether you are a CEO, carer or care provider, we are inviting everyone to join us, support each other and generate ideas for moving the care sector forward. The role of the CQC is to ensure standards of care are maintained across the sector – our role is supporting you in doing this. For more details go to the Yorkshire Care Alliance page on LinkedIn and sign up – we look forward to seeing you there.

Mick Feather is care business manager at Citation.