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Information and tools to support ASC staff to be prepared for CQC Assurance

CQC Assurance

Care Quality Commission (CQC) assurance is a review of how Camden Adult Social Care are delivering on their Care Act 2014 duties. Like Ofsted in Children and Learning, this process is the Adult Social Care version of an inspection.

In Camden, we are confident in the support we provide to residents. The CQC assurance will provide us an opportunity to gather evidence to showcase the great ways in which we support people whilst carrying out Care Act duties. 

The CQC inspectors will be visiting us during the week commencing 18 November.

If you have questions, please contact Cynthia Davis, Head of Adult Social Care Innovation at [email protected] or [email protected].

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about submitting cases for the audit list and expectations of staff in preparing for inspection 

Q1. How many cases will CQC review?

We are required to send them 50 cases. CQC will select up to 10 to do a case tracking exercise. This exercise involves CQC speaking to the person drawing on care, their carers, providers and other sources of support, to get understanding of the person’s journey through ASC and the support they receive. CQC are interested in the person’s experience, quality of support, their care and the outcomes.
The CQC case audit list has been submitted to the CQC, and they have selected the cases they would like to review. The social care practitioners whose cases have been selected have been notified.

Q2. What happens if one of my cases gets selected?

CQC is likely to speak to the Practitioner and service provider involved with the person.  So, it is likely that the OT, Support Worker, Outreach Worker, will be spoken to about the person’s support.  It is likely the conversation will be by phone, or on Teams, with the people involved in the case.  It is likely that CQC will ask questions about the person, the work that the Practitioner has undertaken and the person’s outcomes.  It is unlikely that that the Inspector(s) will sit next to the Practitioner and ask questions.

Inspectors will not require access to Mosaic and go through case files, and nor will they carry out random spot checks on case notes.

Q3. What is the expectation of staff in the preparations for the CQC assurance?

Staff are expected to be involved in preparations. This could be attending CQC workshops, drop-ins like the kitchen conversations, briefings. focus groups, and discussions with their team, and 1 to 1 conversations with their managers.

Q4. What are the expectations from Service Managers and Team Managers in supporting staff?

The expectations from Service Managers and Team Managers in supporting staff are:

  • Actively participate in the preparation for inspection
  • Managers should use information on the CQC pages in the Practice Guide to share updates with their teams during Team Meetings and 1 to 1 conversations
  • Support their staff if their cases have been selected as part of the audit
  • Managers to have a role in encouraging confidence in their staff in their roles and supporting staff to showcase the good work they do.

Q5. What can staff expect to happen on onsite inspection days?

In November when the CQC visit, we expect ASC staff to be onsite on 7th floor. Staff may be asked to take part in group interviews with Inspectors, or asked to attend drop in sessions with Inspectors.  Inspectors will want to understand how things work in Camden and what the experience is of people that draw on care and support and how they are supported, what their experience is and what the outcomes are. 

Inspectors will also want to know about the experience of staff and how they are supported. 

Q6. What themes will the CQC look at?

The CQC will be looking at how Camden Adult Social Care performs in:

  • Working with people
  • Providing support
  • Safety
  • Leading well

These areas will be broken down into:

  • Leadership
  • Workforce
  • Safeguarding
  • Equality
  • Risks
  • People
  • Performance

Q7. How will the Council know we are being assessed?

Jess McGregor, Executive Director, Director of Adults and Health has sent out messages on Essentials informing the Council of the CQC inspection date.

Further messages will be sent out nearer the inspection date.

Q8. How long will the inspection phase be?

The on-site inspection is likely to be 3 to 4 days. 

At the end of the assessment process, CQC will publish a report that will publicly available.

Q9. What evidence would CQC be looking for?

To ensure a structured and consistent assessment, CQC have developed six categories that they will focus and collect evidence on, these are:

  • People’s experiences
  • Feedback from staff and leaders
  • Observation of care
  • Feedback from partners
  • Processes
  • Outcomes of care
Last updated: 18 October 2024