Words from the Care Face 3: Providers between a rock and a hard place.

Should CQC be more explicit about the resources needed to meet their requirements?

One of the issues identified in the “Issues We Face” report* is that providers often find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

On the one hand they are answerable to CQC in terms of the quality of the services they provide. On the other hand their resources are often determined by local authorities who want to pay as little as they can get away with. If CQC were more vocal about the level of resourcing they feel is necessary to meet their requirements this could really help providers make the case for the resources they need.

Should CQC be clear about whether they feel the National Minimum / Living Wage is adequate incentive for providers to attract sufficient staff to create the workforce and deliver the quality of care that they expect? If not, should they be clearer about what they feel would constitute pay rates to improve the chances of providers building a workforce designed to meet their requirements?

Should CQC be clearer about the proportion of non contact time they feel staff should have to meet the expectations of regulations being placed upon them?

Should they come up with an equivalent proportion for Registered Managers?

Providers are trying to deliver person centred services. Quite clearly everybody’s needs are not the same but local authorities do not factor in higher levels of management and administrative time if people have more complex needs or higher levels of dependency. Should CQC be more explicit about the relationship between the complexity of a person’s needs and the amount of management and administrative time that should be included as part of their support package?

What are your thoughts? Leave any comments below

*C&SW’s annual The issues we face report is developed from a series of conversations with Registered Managers and people providing care and support services. It is designed to provide a voice for the sector based on the actual experiences of those who work in it. 

If you are interested in looking at the full ‘The issues we face’ report, you can download a copy here.