Over 5,500 New Care Services in the Dark: Breaking Down the CQC Inspection Backlog
Are you a new care provider struggling with registration? Or perhaps you have been registered for some time but are still waiting for your first assessment? Well, you are not alone - we have heard countless stories like these from our clients and it can be so frustrating to be stuck in this position, unable to get a new or even your first rating.
That is why, in May of this year, the team here at Affinity Care Advisory lodged a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC’s responses sheds light on critical issues affecting new care services across the UK. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the CQC's response, highlighting significant delays in the registration and inspection processes that impact the delivery of quality care.
Key Findings from the CQC's Response
Registered but Uninspected Care Services
One of the most concerning revelations is the backlog of new care services that have been registered but remain uninspected. Over the past three years, a staggering 5,531 care services have been registered with the CQC but have not yet undergone their initial assessment. This delay not only undermines the regulatory framework designed to ensure quality and safety but also raises questions about the readiness of these services to provide adequate care.
Rejected Registrations
The CQC has also been proactive in refusing registrations that do not meet the required standards. In the past 12 months alone, 206 notices of decision to refuse registration have been issued to social care organisations. This step is crucial in maintaining the integrity of the care sector, ensuring that only those providers who meet stringent criteria are allowed to operate.
We would like to highlight that Affinity Care Advisory has spoken with numerous care providers who faced rejection due to very simple mistakes, such as missing a single document. These minor oversights can render their entire registration null, causing significant frustration and extending the CQC registration process by several months. This raises questions about the overall effectiveness of the registration process.
Inadequate Services Awaiting Reinspection
Another critical issue is the number of inadequate services awaiting reinspection past the six-month deadline. Currently, there are 137 services that have been rated inadequate and are overdue for reinspection. While the CQC has moved away from a fixed maximum interval between inspections, this backlog suggests a need for a more robust and timely reassessment process to ensure these services improve and meet the necessary standards. Prompt reinspection is essential not only to ensure these services meet the necessary standards but also because many care providers have made significant efforts to improve their ratings and are eager to have their progress acknowledged.
The CQC’s New Assessment Framework
The CQC has implemented a new assessment framework aimed at providing a more flexible and comprehensive evaluation of care services. This framework was supposedly going to utilise a broader range of regulatory approaches to assess quality and rate services without necessarily conducting a site inspection. While this approach aims to streamline the assessment process and make it more adaptive, the significant number of uninspected and inadequately rated services indicates that there are still challenges to be addressed.
“It’s really frustrating to see these figures. This clearly highlights that providers are not receiving adequate support from the CQC. It’s clear that the new Single Assessment Framework is not bridging the gap as promised, and action must be taken to address this issue.”
Implications for the Care Sector
The delays in inspections and the large number of unassessed new services have several implications:
Quality Assurance: The primary goal of the CQC is to ensure that all care services meet high standards of quality and safety. Delays in inspection mean that new services are operating without formal oversight, potentially compromising care quality.
Provider Accountability: Without timely inspections, there is a risk that inadequate practices go unnoticed, affecting the overall trust and reliability of the care sector. On top of that, care providers that have been putting in the effort to raise their rating, are stuck waiting for reinspection.
Resource Allocation: The backlog highlights the need for better resource allocation within the CQC to address these delays and ensure timely inspections and reassessments.
At Affinity Care Advisory, we remain committed to advocating for high standards in the care sector. We will continue to monitor the situation and work with care providers to ensure that every care service meets the quality and safety standards that the public deserves.
For more information on registering with the CQC, check out our guide What is CQC Registration? A Beginners Guide to Registering your Care Service.
This article aims to inform our readers about the current state of CQC registrations and inspections, based on the data we obtained through our FOI request. We hope it provides valuable insights into the challenges and the necessary steps to improve the quality of care services across the UK.
