What is CQC Inspection?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection is a regular check to ensure safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led health and social care services across England. The CQC regulates activities in and assigns ratings to hospitals, care homes, and home-care agencies based on the Health and Social Care Act 2008. Failing CQC Inspections may lead to costly fines and litigation, especially when people are harmed or put in danger.

What is a CQC Inspection Checklist?

A CQC inspection checklist is a tool used by assurance, compliance, and quality officers to prepare for announced or unannounced regulatory checks every 6-12 months. Utilizing mobile-ready CQC inspection checklists can help easily identify gaps, improve the quality of care, and increase ratings.

The 5 Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE)

The CQC inspection focuses on identifying non-compliance, cross-checking observations against other evidence such as care plans and training records. CQC inspectors assess health and social care services using the 5 KLOE, deciding where they are appropriate during the 2 to 5-hour CQC inspection. Be ready to address issues concerning the 5 KLOE below:

Safe:

“Are people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?”

Effective:

“Do people’s care, treatment, and support achieve good outcomes; promote a good quality of life; and is based on the best available evidence?”

Caring:

“Does the service involve and treat people with compassion, kindness, dignity, and respect?”

Responsive:

“Do services meet people’s needs?”

Well-led:

“Do the leadership, management, and governance of the organization assure the delivery of high-quality and person-centered care, support learning and innovation, and promote an open and fair culture?”

Your Ratings and Next Steps

CQC inspectors give a rating for each KLOE of a health and social care facility and an overall rating for specific services. The CQC report details why and how they carried out the inspection, their findings from the inspection, and their judgments. It also describes good practices, concerns, and recommendations to help care providers take action on poor services and improve their ratings.

Good & Outstanding

CQC inspectors give a rating for each KLOE of a health and social care facility and an overall rating for specific services. The CQC report details why and how they carried out the inspection, their findings from the inspection, and their judgments. It also describes good practices, concerns, and recommendations to help care providers take action on poor services and improve their ratings.

Requires Improvement

If a health and social care service fails to meet one or more of the regulations, the care provider should submit a report which details how they intend to improve their service. Assurance, compliance, and quality officers should identify who will take action and when, make sure the report will be submitted within the 7-28 day deadline, and monitor progress against the report. CQC inspectors may follow up with a visit or a telephone call to confirm the completion of a compliance action.

Inadequate

If the breach of a regulation is more serious or a compliance action has not been effective, CQC inspectors will take enforcement action. According to the CQC enforcement policy, the care provider can appeal or make written representations about any enforcement action. However, they must provide evidence that the health and social service meets regulations during follow-up inspections within 6 months.