Frequently Asked Questions
Be Outstanding Software Version 4.0 Update - Sunday 26 February 2023 - reflecting the new CQC single assessment framework
Be Outstanding is updating its software to reflect the CQC’s new single assessment framework. (Further information about the CQC’S new regulatory regime can be found at: How we will regulate – Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk))
Please find below a short video summarising the changes.
When will the update take place?
The update is scheduled for Sunday 26 February 2023.
What are quality statements?
The CQC’s ratings system and the five key questions (whether your service is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led) will remain the same.
The CQC is replacing KLOEs with quality statements which show what is needed to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.
Further information can be found at: Key questions and quality statements – Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk).
What are evidence categories?
The Be Outstanding software will enable you to save your evidence within each quality statement under the relevant evidence category.
Details on the evidence categories are provided at: Evidence categories – Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk).
In summary, there are potentially up to six evidence categories that the CQC will gather evidence under. The final categories will vary depending on things such as the type of service (e.g. domiciliary care or GP practice); the level of assessment (e.g. assessment of a service, a provider, a local authority or an integrated care system); whether the assessment is for an existing registration or at registration.
Current information from the CQC indicates that for domiciliary care, four of the six evidence categories will apply (People’s experience of health and care services; Feedback from staff and leaders; Feedback from partners; Processes). We will continue to review this as the CQC finalises its approach.
What will happen to my existing stored evidence?
We are pleased to say that the accuracy of our research carried out to date means that our focus points already closely map onto the CQC’s new quality statements. We have therefore been able to identify which of the new quality statements our existing focus points most closely map to. This means that it is possible for us to automatically move your evidence.
Unless you request otherwise, all the evidence that you have stored within each focus point will be moved to the most relevant of the new quality statements according to our mapping. We advise you to review your evidence after this process to make sure you are happy with how your evidence has been moved and amend where necessary.
In the few cases where your evidence might not be automatically mapped to one of the new quality statements, it will be highlighted with an orange tag marked legacy. You will be able to view your evidence and move it to the most relevant quality statement with a few clicks.
Under the single assessment framework evidence is additionally categorised within one of the CQCs evidence categories. We have no way to automate the categorisation of each item of your evidence, however this takes only a few clicks, and need only be done when it suits you or when evidence relating to that particular quality statement is requested by the CQC.
What are the alternative options if I don’t want you to automatically move my data?
If you do not want us to automatically move your existing evidence to a relevant quality statement, then we can also offer the following options.
Option 1: Not move any of your evidence. Leave it where it is currently for your organisation to move as and when it sees fit
Option 2: Move only evidence that was uploaded after a particular date (of your choosing)
Option 3: Move all your evidence except for evidence which is currently marked ‘legacy’
Please let us know before Friday 17th February if you would prefer one of the alternative options and which option would suit you. Please email support@be-outstanding.co.uk.
What is happening to the focus points?
These will be superseded by the CQC’s new quality statements. All focus points and their evidence will be automatically moved (as described above) unless you request otherwise. Any remaining focus points will be marked as legacy.
How will I be able to send my information to the CQC?
For the time being, please continue to allow CQC inspectors secure access to reports or restricted access to the Be Outstanding system itself.
When the CQC has formally stated how they wish for information to be uploaded to their portal, then the Be Outstanding software will be updated to also make it easy to submit your evidence to the CQC’s portal.
Further information and a further update will therefore be issued in due course.
Why are you releasing the update now?
We are releasing the update now to enable our customers to begin to store their evidence under the new single assessment framework categories.
How will this affect the Be Outstanding research?
All the research and guidance provided within version 3.0 of the software will be available under each related quality statement in the version 4.0 update.
As soon as the CQC has provided enough feedback under the Single Assessment Framework we will analyse it and integrate our findings into the Be Outstanding software. The timings for this will be dependent upon when the CQC formally moves to the new framework.