Safety is obviously one of the key considerations of managers running an adult social care service and yet it consistently rates more poorly in CQC inspections compared to the other key question areas of Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led.
What are the top three themes that CQC inspectors consistently highlight as Outstanding practice and what can you do to help improve your rating in the ‘Safe’ key question?
1. It’s all about the Manager
Nearly every organisation that achieved an Outstanding rating in Safe, has a highly proactive Registered Manager. The Registered Manager is actively involved in monitoring and making changes to improve levels of safety.
Inspectors comment that the Registered Manager anticipates safety issues and encourages staff, residents, visitors and professionals to raise concerns so that these can be addressed. Registered Managers are directly involved or ensures other designated staff directly involve themselves in resolving safety issues quickly and efficiently to protect people.
2. Recruitment is key
CQC inspectors also highlighted providers practices that focused on evidencing how new staff are safely recruited. Outstanding practices include recruitment that is thorough, with systems in place to ensure care providers hire the right people for the role. Relevant security and identity checks are carried out.
There are also robust and clear recruitment records with all necessary evidence required for employment. As a result of these processes, people are cared for by qualified staff.
3. Medicines are managed safely
Safe management of medicines, including their receipt into the service and how they are given safely as prescribed, is an important focus for adult social care providers. Outstanding rated providers ensure that effective and updated medicines policies and procedures are in place, staff medicines training and competencies are up to date and all medicines are safely administered and recorded.
In addition to actually doing the work and ensuring that your practices are Safe, organisations need to ensure that they record and evidence their practices.
Be Outstanding’s care quality software is designed to make storage of your evidence simple so that you can provide it to the CQC and other auditors when needed. The software is designed to meet the CQC’s new regulatory framework, enabling you to store your evidence under each relevant quality statement.
In addition, Be Outstanding’s leading research into Outstanding practice is included, helping provide guidance on themes rated as Outstanding practice.