Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) plays a vital role in monitoring, regulating, and improving health and social care services in England. Established to protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of people who use services, the CQC ensures that care is provided with dignity, respect, and effectiveness. This webpage offers an overview of the CQC’s functions, its regulatory approach, and how it helps ensure quality care across the country.
What is the CQC?
The Care Quality Commission is an independent regulator of health and social care services in England. Founded in 2009, the CQC operates under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, with the primary mission of ensuring that health and social care providers deliver high standards of care that meet the needs of the individuals they serve.
Key Functions of the CQC
The CQC has several essential functions, including:
- Registration: All health and social care providers must register with the CQC before they can operate. This registration process ensures that services meet fundamental standards of quality and safety.
- Inspection: The CQC conducts regular inspections of care providers, including hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries, and community services. Inspections assess whether services are safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led.
- Rating: After inspections, the CQC issues ratings (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate) to provide clear information to the public about the quality of care provided. This rating system helps individuals make informed choices about their care options.
- Monitoring and Enforcement: The CQC monitors services continuously, using various data, feedback, and intelligence. If a service is found to be inadequate or poses a risk to individuals, the CQC has the power to take enforcement action, including imposing fines or closing services.
- Public Engagement and Feedback: The CQC encourages service users, their families, and the public to share their experiences and feedback about care services. This information helps the CQC identify trends, areas for improvement, and best practices in care delivery.
- Advocacy and Guidance: The CQC provides guidance to care providers on regulatory requirements and shares best practices to help services improve and develop. They also advocate for service users to ensure their rights are upheld.
Latest from DHSC
The Carer’s Leave Bill has now received royal assent and become an Act. The Act gives employees the right to take unpaid leave from work to care for older, disabled or seriously ill relatives or friends. It is estimated that two million employees currently juggling paid employment and caring responsibilities will be able to take up to five days of unpaid Carer’s Leave to support their loved ones. Considering that many people will require adult social care support to make this happen, this Act is going to have implications for providers and commissioners. Read more here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3199 .
The Department of Health and Social Care and Skills for Care, working closely with our sector partners, have recently published voluntary guiding principles to support person-centred, safe and effective delegation of healthcare activities to care colleagues. A delegated healthcare activity involves regulated healthcare professionals, including nurses, nursing associates or occupational therapists, delegating actions, often of a clinical nature, to paid care colleagues. These activities can include helping a person to manage their insulin administration, attending to wound care and overseeing mental health support. Delegations of this nature have been happening for several years. The principles build on this work and can be adapted locally to complement existing best practice. Care colleagues are encouraged to review and adopt them in all eligible care settings in England.
