The Importance of CQC Care Home Visits

One way in which the government ensure that care homes are up to standard is through Care Quality Commission (CQC) care home visits. CQC care home visits are conducted to assess several aspects of a care home, from the facilities, to the staff and their actions. CQC care home visits are very important in ensuring the level of care in the UK is high and strives to provide high quality care for all. Therefore, every care home is assessed by the CQC and should present this on their website.

If you would like to learn more about our home, or read our latest CQC report, then visit our website or contact us today for more information.

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CQC Care Home Visits

What Do CQC Care Home Visits Assess?

The CQC is an important body when it comes to the regulation of care homes. They carry out regular visits to assess whether care homes are meeting the fundamental standards of quality and safety. The CQC also publishes their findings, which includes performance ratings, so that people can make informed choices about the care homes.

CQC care home visits are often done on short-notice (48 hours in advance). This is intended to give care homes little notice so that they can acquire an accurate representation of the home. CQC inspectors will generally look at all aspects of care, from the environment to the quality of care being provided.

Five Key Factors

CQC care home visits assess five key factors:

Is the Service Safe? – This considers factors such as whether staff are trained and effective in safeguarding residents from abuse, whether medication is being managed safely, and if there are any safety risks in the environment.

Is the Service Effective? – This looks at whether care plans are person-centred and meet residents’ needs, whether staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide good quality care.

Is the Service Caring? – This considers whether staff treat residents with kindness, compassion, and respect. It also looks at whether residents feel able to express their views and have them listened to.

Is the Service Responsive? – This looks at whether care homes are responsive to residents’ needs, whether complaints are dealt with effectively, and whether staff work well together to provide a high level of care.

Is the Service Well Led?- This looks at whether care homes are well-run, whether staff feel supported by management, and whether there are effective systems in place to therefore monitor and improve the quality of care.

Why Are CQC Care Home Visits Important?

CQC care home visits are important for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it provides an objective assessment of the quality of care. This provides residents, families and friends reassurance that the care home is providing a high standard of care. As it is done by an impartial agency, with relatively little notice, it ensures that the assessment of the care home is accurate. Therefore, this is incredibly vital in helping families select care homes.

Secondly, the CQC visit provides an opportunity for the care home to get feedback from residents, families and staff. This feedback can be used to make improvements to the quality of care. This empowers residents and staff, but contributes towards enhancing the level of care provided in the UK. Therefore, CQC care home visits protect everyone involved in care homes. 

Lastly, the CQC report is important as it helps to hold care homes to account. If a care home is not up to standard, the CQC take action to ensure that improvements are made. Consequently, this accountability is important in ensuring that all care homes provide a high standard of care.

CQC care home visits are important, but they are not designed to catch care homes out. The assessments are designed to enhance the quality of care being provided in the UK and protect those living and working in care homes. As care homes deal with many vulnerable people, it is vital that they are operating at the highest level and protecting all involved.

The Victoria Grand and CQC Care Home Visits

In the latest CQC care home visit to The Victoria Grand, we received a “Good” rating. We were very happy about this.

Is The Service Safe?

The CQC rated The Victoria Grand as “Good” regarding the safety of our service. The report states “people were safe and protected from avoidable harm”. This meant that our practices regarding systems and processes, assessing risks, using medicines, staffing and recruitment and preventing or controlling infection were effective. Thus, we are proud that our team have helped us achieve such a rating.

Is The Service Effective?

The CQC rated The Victoria Grand as “Good” in terms of effectiveness. This has improved from our previous assessment so we are particularly proud of this. “This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this”. We ensure our service was effective by making improvements to assessing residents’ needs and choices. This includes, supporting our staff, nutrition and diets, and supporting people to live healthier lives.

Is the Service Caring?

The CQC rated The Victoria Grand as “Good” regarding caring. This was another element that has improved from our previous assessment. The CQC stated “people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care”. We pride ourselves on treating our residents with dignity and respect. Therefore, we are proud to see the CQC agree with this. This ensures that people are treated well and supported, involved in decision making and retain their dignity and privacy.

Is the Service Responsive?

The CQC rated The Victoria Grand as “Good” regarding responsiveness. Once again, this has improved from our previous assessment. The CQC state that “people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery”. We are proud to see that our hard work is paying off. We are delighted that we are deemed to be providing a responsive service.

Is the Service Well-Led?

The CQC rated The Victoria Grand as “Needs Improvement” regarding leadership. We have always taken pride in empowering our staff and our great carers at The Victoria Grand. Therefore, we are disappointed that our current rating does not reflect this. However, we have worked hard to rectify this. Hence, we are certain that we can re-establish our rating to “Good” or higher. We value our carers and believe they are our greatest asset to providing such a great service at our home.

Why The Victoria Grand Care Home?

At The Victoria Grand, we are dedicated to providing the best possible care to our residents. Therefore, we welcome CQC care home visits. We believe that they play a crucial role in ensuring the level of care is high across the country.

To learn more about the CQC report, visit their website. Alternatively, read their report on The Victoria Grand Care Home on our website. To learn more about our services, explore our website or contact our friendly team at manager@thevictoriagrand.co.uk today!

Article: Phoenix Marketing