CQC announced its Emergency Support Framework at the end of last week. It went live the next working day – on Monday 4th May – and has caused concern for some providers in the adult care sector.
On top of getting to grips with the implications of COVID-19, trying to source PPE, and perhaps even dealing with the virus in their homes, providers now have the prospect of a one-hour video call from CQC.
CQC claims that the call is a way of offering support in case a care home is struggling to respond to COVID-19. But closer inspection has caused anxiety for some providers. It seems that during the call, CQC will expect answers from providers about how prepared they are and how they are managing:
- safe care and treatment
- staffing arrangements
- protection from abuse
- assurance processes, monitoring, and risk management
Not only can the CQC ask questions, but also the inspector can also ask providers to submit evidence about specific risks and issues. This evidence can be provided by screen sharing or by email after the call.
Of course, if CQC believes a care home is not managing well during the pandemic, it can still inspect the home and also use its processes to take regulatory enforcement actions if it feels a home is non-compliant.
CQC will be prioritising those care homes that they consider at “higher risk” but says it will contact all care homes at some point during the pandemic.
To support care and nursing homes to prepare for this new regime, Fulcrum Care has a couple of new initiatives.
Webinar on CQC Emergency Support Framework
Firstly, we are holding a webinar about the Emergency Support Framework.
Date and time: Tuesday 12th May 2020, 2.00-3.15 pm
The webinar is open to all adult social care providers and managers in England. It will cover:
- CQC’s approach to assessing risk during COVID-19
- Understand how and when CQC may contact you
- Areas that CQC is likely to include in its call
- Advice on managing the call and how to assure CQC
- Advice on ensuring the accuracy of the call and information gathered, held and assessed by CQC
- Q&A
The webinar is limited to 100 places.[/vc_column_text][rt_button_style title=”Register for the webinar” align=”left” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-laptop” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcalendly.com%2Ftonythiru%2Fcqc-emergency-support-framework-webinar%2F2020-05-12T14%3A00%3A00%2B01%3A00%3Fback%3D1%26month%3D2020-05%26date%3D2020-05-12|title:Register%20for%20the%20webinar|target:%20_blank|”][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
Emergency Support Framework Power Hour
While the webinar will give some basic information, many care homes will require a more tailored approach. For this, we have launched a new service, our Emergency Support Framework Power Hour.
The Power Hour helps care home providers and managers to prepare for CQC’s video call. The Power Hour is run by a specialist Fulcrum care home consultant and includes:
- A one-hour interactive video conference call using Zoom
- Unlimited attendees on the call, so that full senior management teams can join in
- Advice on how to prepare for the CQC Emergency Support Framework call
- What is needed to show CQC that all risks have been prepared for
- How to prove to CQC that the care home is managing
- A checklist of the evidence that can be provided to CQC
- A chance to ask questions specific to the care home or group
- A personalised action plan, sent after the call
- A recording of the session, provided afterwards, so that advice can be revisited
Providers and managers can book a time to suit them.