Understanding the importance of CQC Mock Inspection.
A Mock CQC Inspection is just that, a thorough inspection of your care agency, which mimics CQC’s Key Lines of Enquiry and inspection methodology. The aim is to highlight any problems or concerns, giving you the time to be proactive and stay in control. Of course, if a CQC inspector was to find them before you, then it could have a negative effect on your overall rating. Our team of CQC compliance experts carry out a thorough audit of the care service you provide against the Key Lines of Enquiry, giving you the opportunity to stay one step ahead. Take the first steps to being ‘outstanding’ and book your mock inspection today.
When do need our CQC Mock Inspection services?
- Opening a new healthcare agency.
- Rectifying CQC inspection offences or enforcement notices.
- Preparation for an upcoming inspection (including the Transitional Monitoring Approach).
- Ensuring your practice fit-outs are compliant.
Common compliance factors affecting providers agencies during Inspections.
- Good at providing care but poor at evidencing it.
- Lack of investment in quality protocols which demonstrate compliance.
- Policy in paper and not in practice.
- Quality protocols are in place, but data is not used to improve services.
- Training, learning and mentoring is in place but not adequately evidenced. For example, only face to face training is evidenced and sometimes without specific learning outcomes/ details relevant to role.
- No clear audit trail linking strategic goals to deliverable actions.
- Poor systems in place for the recruitment and retention of staff.
- Disproportionate focus on profitability over client outcomes.
- Staff team, completely unaware of what KLOEs are and how their day-to-day work is relevant to these.
Our team of CQC compliance experts carry out a focused inspection on the following:
- Detailed care plan auditing.
- Medication management.
- Policies and procedures.
- HR paper works.
- Health and safety.
- COVID-19 infection control precautions
Some benefits of our mock inspections
- Offer an opportunity to experience an inspection: offering it in a safe way as a practice run.
- Are measured against the same standards used by CQC, including the ‘The Key Lines of Enquiry’ (KLOES) and Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well led
- Offer detailed feedback provided from a different perspective.
- Provide space to take a step back, reflect and review.
- Provide specific action plans for improvements.
- Support your team’s growth, knowledge and confidence.
- May highlight actions for specific team members that inspectors may talk to.
- May prepare service users as inspectors may also target them.
Our process
1. Information gathering
You complete a detailed questionnaire to help us have a clear understanding of your specific business requirements.
2. Practice preparation checklist
We review the specific needs of the practice and issue a bespoke Practice Preparation Checklist.
3. On-site inspection
We will undertake a thorough on-site review of the practice as part of the mock inspection. This includes a review of your practice policies, audits, risk assessments, decontamination room compliance, patient safety checks, mock interviews with your team, CPD staff training, information governance and clinical governance protocols as well as recruitment and induction checks. More recently, we now include within our mock CQC practice inspections a review of your COVID-19 safe working practices.
4. Report
After practice visit we will develop and issue you with an outcome report which provides a detailed best practice gap analysis of where your practice is demonstrating compliance, best practice suggestions (e.g. CQC notable practice) and where improvements are required.