Service Introduction of the Regulation

Introducing Careforthemcareltd, a leading Employer hired, recruitment and staffing provider for the Care Industry, we help care providers navigate the strict regulatory environment with reliable and experienced staff. We provide agencies with the qualified and competent personnel needed to meet the standards and regulations required of the Care Industry. We also ensure that staff receive the necessary training, professional development, supervision and appraisals to carry out their roles, as well as the needed evidence to remain registered with their professional regulator.

CQC key question test

At Employer Hired, Recruitment and Staffing, we are committed to adhering to the CQC regulations. We will ensure that all employees receive regular appraisal and that any training, learning and development needs are identified, planned for and supported. We will provide access to clinical/professional supervision, as required, in accordance with the requirements of the relevant professional regulator.

The Lines of enquiry

Regarding supervision and appraisal, inspectors are prompted to ask in their Key Lines of Enquiry (revised 2017) the following questions.

Is it safe?

S3: How does the service make sure that there are sufficient numbers of suitable staff to support people to stay safe and meet their needs?
S3.1: What arrangements are there, including within the rotas, for making sure that staff have the right mix of skills, competencies, qualifications, experience and knowledge, to meet people’s individual needs?
S3.2: How is safety promoted in recruitment practices, arrangements to support staff, training arrangements, disciplinary procedures, and ongoing checks?

Is it effective?

E2: How does the service make sure that staff have the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and support?
E2.1: Do people have their assessed needs, preferences and choices met by staff with the right qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience?
E2.2: Are staff supported to keep their professional practice and knowledge updated in line with best practice?
E2.3: Do staff and any volunteers have effective and regular mentorship, support, induction, supervision, appraisal and training?

Feedback and motivation

Is it well-led?

W2.1: Do staff receive feedback from managers in a constructive and motivating way, which enables them to know what action they need to take?
W4.1: Are resources and support available to develop staff and teams, and drive improvement?
W4.2: How effective are quality assurance, information and clinical governance systems in supporting and evaluating learning from current performance? How are they used to drive continuous improvement and manage future performance?

The encouragement relative view

To answer these questions, inspectors are encouraged to ask service users and their relatives their views and experiences about the care they receive. They are also prompted to gather feedback from other stakeholders.

In addition to the KLOE prompts, the CQC guidance describes what inspectors should look for in services with different ratings. For example, with reference to training and supervision, in a service rated as “good” inspectors are encouraged to look for:

staff performance relating to unsafe care is recognised and responded to appropriately and quickly — lessons learned are shared and applied
staff have received up-to-date training in all safety systems
staff and volunteers have the right competence, knowledge, qualifications, skills and experience to carry out their roles
all staff complete a comprehensive induction and do not work unsupervised until they and their manager are confident they can do so
supervision and appraisal are used to develop and motivate staff, review their practice or behaviours, and focus on professional development
staff have the time and resources to maintain professional registration
there is a strong focus on continuous learning at all levels of the organisation
staff have objectives focused on improvement and learning
performance information is used to hold staff to account — concerns are investigated in a sensitive and confidential way, and lessons are shared and acted on
leaders and managers ensure that good practice is shared and acted on throughout the service

Prompting purpose

To answer these questions, inspectors are encouraged to ask service users and their relatives their views and

In a service rated as “outstanding” inspectors are prompted to look for evidence that:

staff and people help to develop innovative safety training that is inclusive and comprehensive — the impact of this is evaluated and feeds into continuous improvement
staff report that they have been provided with excellent training and ongoing support to support people to stay safe and empower them to take appropriate risks
the service deals with issues of poor performance immediately and ensures staff are supported to improve
staff training is developed and delivered around individual needs — service users, their families and other carers are involved in planning and delivering this training
there is a proactive support and appraisal system for staff, which recognises that continuing development of skills, competence and knowledge is integral to ensuring high-quality care and support
there is a strong framework of accountability to monitor performance and risk leading to the delivery of demonstrable quality improvements to the service
there is a particularly strong emphasis on continuous improvement.

The above features will be lacking or not sufficiently developed in services that require improvement or are considered to be inadequate.