Safeguarding
What are quality concerns and why raising them is important
These are concerns regarding the quality of care an individual is receiving from an internal or external service provider.
Quality concerns relating to external service providers should be passed on to the relevant Commissioning teams. The Commissioning teams covering adults, mental health and learning disability services evaluate and monitor all our providers’ performance on a regular basis.
In monitoring meetings, the data relating to commissioned activity, safeguarding and quality concerns are discussed in detail. Commissioned services include: residential and nursing homes, supported living providers, home care providers as well as some voluntary sector providers.
All the information you send builds a picture of how a provider is operating and helps us to understand patterns and common issues. When we bring all the information together from different sources we are in a better position to challenge poor practice, support an organisation to improve or congratulate a provider on delivering a good service.
How to raise a quality concern
In the first instance, as the allocated or assigned social care officer, you should follow up with the service provider in question.
In the event that it is a serious concern, a repeated quality issue, or the provider is not responding, then you will need to report this to the Commissioning team.
How to report a quality concern
Please complete the Quality Assurance Reporting Form which will be sent directly to the Quality Assurance Inbox, [email protected], and to the service provider. The inbox is actively managed and checked every work day by a Commissioning Manager.
The safeguarding process should still be followed for any safeguarding concerns.
Where a quality concern relates to a commissioned service provider, please copy in [email protected].
Further quality assurance guidance regarding Commissioned Services Quality Alerts and the Safeguarding Process is available.