Supporting people to live full and meaningful lives in residential care is a vital part of the work the social care sector does. The best example of care that we see in our regulatory activity is person-centred care. That doesn’t happen by accident. We’re all individuals, with unique pasts and preferences, therefore all care is different.
A balancing act
It can be an ongoing challenge to balance safety with personal choice and I’m pleased that a new guide based on research by the University of Bedfordshire and supported by colleagues at CQC has been published to support providers and people with the use of alcohol in care homes.
The guidance focuses on the benefits of having alcohol available to care home residents who want it. It also examines the potential risks and how to mitigate them. The research was led by Dr Sarah Wadd. She said, ‘People living in care homes should be supported to have as much choice and control of their lives as possible. It is important to remember that just as health has value, so too does pleasure. The goal is to find a balance between minimising risk and maximising quality of life.’
The new guide for care home residents and the public along with a good practice guide for care home staff is now available. These will help everyone navigate the space where issues of choice and safety collide to make a real difference to people providing and using services.
Visiting safely
Another important piece of guidance in development this year is in response to the introduction of an amendment to Regulation 9, to add a regulation on visiting and accompaniment in care homes, hospitals and hospices. This new fundamental standard is being introduced by the Government following their consultation in the summer of 2023.
The new fundamental standard is intended to highlight the importance of visiting for people using health and social care services and that visits should never be unreasonably restricted. As the regulator, we have a legal duty to issue guidance for providers on how to comply with the regulations. This guidance will also set out what people using health and social care services and their friends and family can expect. We’re currently consulting on this guidance and I encourage you to read the documents and share your views.
The Department for Health and Social Care proposes that the new regulation will come into force in April 2024. This consultation – which is limited to our guidance about the new fundamental standard and does not cover the scope and content of the visiting legislation itself – is open for your comments until midday on Tuesday 20th February. We’ll publish the results shortly after that.
New regulatory framework
2024 sees the full implementation of our new regulatory framework across England. Those in our south of England and London and east of England regions are now using the framework. By the end of February, all remaining areas will have begun using the new assessment framework, too. We continue to work closely with providers to gather detailed feedback on the processes we’re using. One early adopter in the south of England said, ‘So far, the process has been communicated really well. Obviously there have been a few teething issues but our main assessor/inspector has communicated honestly with us about this. The honest open communication has been the best part of the process so far.’
Our formal assessments of local authorities have also begun, following the completion of the pilot phase. A key part of the assessment process is understanding how providers are supported by and interact with systems. Please complete the questionnaires that we send to providers when your local authority is due for assessment. Your feedback for assessments as with our ongoing consultations and development of guidance is vital.
Mary Cridge is the Director of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission. Email: [email protected] X: @CQCProf