Residents in social care last priority for Care Quality Commission
15/10/2024
After years of calling upon the Care Quality Commission to stand up for those using care services, it comes as no surprise to Care Rights UK that the final report of the independent review of the CQC reveals urgent failings by the English regulator. As a charity advocating for those accessing care services, we hear from innumerable families who have been let down by the CQC. The regulator’s lack of intervention to prevent poor care leaves families across the country in unsafe, unsupportive and unmonitored care homes.
Dr Penny Dash was commissioned to conduct a review of the operational effectiveness of the CQC, examining the suitability of CQC’s new Single Assessment Framework methodology for inspections and ratings of health and care providers. Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, responded to the interim report with shock and commitment to do better – we need to see this sentiment followed through with urgency.
Helen Wildbore, director of Care Rights UK, said:
"Lack of action from CQC has left older and disabled people at risk for far too long and allowed poor care to fester. In our darkest hours, during the pandemic and with the care sector in crisis, the CQC have let people down when we needed them most. We hear the devastating impact this is having on people’s lives every day, through our adviceline. This report must be an urgent catalyst for change. For the people we support, in the most vulnerable of situations, change cannot come soon enough.”
Whilst the report published today is heavily focused on systems and the relationship of CQC with providers, we are pleased to see a further review will consider the wider landscape for quality of care, with an initial focus on safety. We hope the report to follow in early 2025 will share the voices of people relying on care services about their experiences with the regulator.
Independent research carried out by Care Rights UK this year found that two thirds of respondents living in care/their advocates were “not confident” or “not confident at all” in the CQC’s ability to ensure that health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care. Worryingly, 56% of the respondents who had experienced poor quality care did not report their concerns to the CQC, many due to fear of repercussions such as eviction. One respondent added:
“I raised safeguarding for my dad to the care home & CQC along with social services, the day after I was banned from the care home.”
Social care is in crisis. Too many people have been left without hope and support for too long. One respondent expressed their lack of faith, saying:
“I feel CQC has its own prescribed agenda. I don't feel they challenge when needed and feel they let down everyone - residents and family when it was most needed. There is perhaps a lack of clarity about who they work for ... personally I feel residents are last on the list”.
Read our full report on people’s experiences of the CQC. If this sounds like your experience, please get in touch support.