Toolkits

Treating women as equal to men does not mean treating the two sexes the same. Women are different biologically and this should be taken into account in the workplace. Employers should be taking steps to adapt the workplace as required, and to proactively introduce relevant policies and support for employees to access when it is required.

This toolkit provides step-by-step guidance for promoting good mental health at work. It provides links to key information and templates on the website.

It is increasingly important for social care providers to prepare for a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. Performing a mock inspection helps greatly, preferably carried out on a continuous basis using a schedule to cover all areas of the KLOEs. Chris Payne takes you through the process step by step.

The biggest challenge currently facing care providers is finding, selecting and appointing the right staff to deliver person-centred care to people to the standards required of them. The next biggest challenge is keeping them to provide continuity and consistency of care and to maintain an efficient, vibrant business. Constant recruitment of new staff wastes energy that is better spent on the development, improvement and possible expansion of the service, which comes from having a reasonably stable committed workforce.

Most current applications for registration with the Care Quality Commission are for a domiciliary care service.

The CQC’s “new” regulatory approach has been evolving since the publication of its How CQC Monitors, Inspects and Regulates Adult Social Care Services (May 2018) and from its experiences of regulating through the Covid-19 pandemic. In July 2022, the CQC published a set of 34 Quality Statements (QS) grouped under the five key domains (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led) that it will be using as its single assessment framework for all the services it regulates instead of the KLOE.

This toolkit provides a step-by-step guide for managing the coronavirus and other infectious illnesses in the post-pandemic period, when legal and public health restrictions no longer apply. Government guidance has been based on the idea of “Living with Covid”, which took effect from April 2022 and has progressed since. The toolkit provides links to key information and template policies on Croner-i Navigate-Care. The information continues to be reviewed and updated.

This toolkit should help to develop the systems and procedures needed for a comprehensive approach to monitoring, reviewing and auditing quality in order to achieve compliance with the care regulations and quality standards. It complements the Preparing for a CQC Inspection Toolkit (for England) and the Preparing for a CIW Inspection (for Wales). The links shown in this toolbox are to the various Croner-i Navigate-Care audit tools and resources.

Safeguarding is a key responsibility for every care service which requires high standards of leadership and management.

The Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) is responsible for the registration and inspection of all care services in Wales, for children and families as well as for adults. Unlike the Care Quality Commission in England the CIW does not regulate the health services in Wales, which is the responsibility of a separate inspectorate. In adult care, it registers and inspects all care homes including those with nursing and domiciliary support services.