| Photograph of Sir Julian Hartley In a new blog, our Chief Executive Sir Julian Hartley talks about the importance of purpose in our work and steps weâre taking to improve how we work. The blog covers the immediate actions weâre taking to improve how we work â including increasing assessments, speeding up registration processes, and responding more quickly to concerns. It also highlights the cultural changes underway, including the development of âthe CQC Wayâ and our focus on stronger leadership. Julian shares his commitment to building a more effective and trusted regulator, with a clear vision for delivering safe, high-quality care. A green speech bubble made of paper is surrounded by overlapping yellow lined index cards. Inside the speech bubble are three crumpled yellow paper balls We are currently assessing how local authorities are meeting their social care duties under Part 1 of the Care Act (2014). As part of our local authority assessments, adult social care providers who are registered with CQC will receive a survey ahead of our local authority site visit, whether or not they are commissioned by the local authority. We are encouraging providers to complete these surveys as they contribute to the evidence we take into consideration in our assessment of a local authority. Feedback from providers is an essential part of our assessments as it enables us to hear about providers' experiences of their local authority. The survey covers areas including assessment and review, provision of support, market shaping and identification of local needs, safety and safeguarding. We will follow up on the information shared with us in the survey during our local authority site visits when we will speak to groups of providers to gather feedback on their experiences. Our assessment process for local authorities begins with a request for an information return which is a key part of the information gathering process of our assessments. The timescales for the information gathering process will vary between local authorities, usually taking between 3 to 6 months prior to on-site activity.  Providers will receive a link to the survey after we have initiated the information return request to a local authority. The link to the survey will be sent to a providerâs registered manager and nominated individual. View the list of local authorities we have contacted to start assessment activity. The survey responses are anonymous and confidential. Image of a person on a wheelchair The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Care Quality Commission (CQC), with input from other relevant organisations, are working together to understand how we can better support the adult social care sector in the safe use of wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are essential mobility aids that can significantly improve the quality of life for many residents in care homes and nursing homes. However, their safe and effective use depends on staff having the appropriate knowledge and training. Your participation in this survey will help us understand what information or guidelines and/or support will support staff to use wheelchairs safely in care settings. It should take about 5 minutes to complete. Illustration of four diverse people standing and holding interconnected colorful circles of various sizes, representing a network or collaborative system. The circles are connected by lines, symbolizing relationships or communication. Our annual survey looks at the experiences of people who use community mental health services. The 2024 survey received feedback from 14,619 people who received treatment for a mental health condition between 1 April and 31 May 2024. Unfortunately, the results show that some people are not able to access care when they need it. Key areas for improvement included quality of care, crisis care, support while waiting, planning and involvement in care, and support with other areas of life. However, there are some areas with positive results, such as support to access care or treatment, medication, and privacy of care settings. Results for people using child and adolescent mental health services indicated poorer experiences across multiple areas of care, and survey respondents using older peopleâs mental health services generally reported more positive experiences of interacting with their mental health team. A hand touches one of several wooden blocks, each displaying a person icon, arranged on a blue surface. The blocks are connected with white lines, representing a network of people or a social connection structure. In 2021, CQC established the Supported Living Improvement Coalition, working with partners to address concerns about the variation in peopleâs experience of supported living services. It brought people together to identify and embed the improvements we need to see. Some of the areas of focus of the coalition were then taken forward by sub-groups. One of those groups explored the importance of respectful and inclusive language and communication in health and social care. The group has published a suite of resources aimed at helping people working in services which include: Findings  and recommendations from survey activity Links to good examples of communication Links to online learning relating to communicating respectfully and inclusively An âeffective communication pledgeâ that provider organisations can use to signal their commitment to respectful and inclusive communication. A person's hand pointing to a laptop screen The care workforce pathway is the universal career structure for the adult social care workforce, setting out advice to care professionals for both staff development and career progression. It helps support career and training decisions which in turn creates more attractive working environments and sustainable workforce growth. The initiative began last year when Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), in partnership with Skills for Care, published the first part of the pathway, focusing on direct care roles. DHSC has now published the second part of the pathway, to include 4 more role categories. These include deputy managers, registered managers, and personal assistants, as well as a new enhanced care worker role category. The pathway will continue to develop, recognising the complex roles and care needs of the sector today. CQC encourages all providers to adopt the pathway as a means of good practice and supporting employers to meet CQCâs regulations for safe, compassionate, high-quality care.â¯Providers should consider how to use the Pathway to support the upskilling and development of their workforce. Animated illustration showing a laptop with a cross symbol on the screen, a pill, a pair of eyeglasses, and a doctor speaking with a patient. We have has been informed of a serious incident where a patient on bisphosphonates sustained bilateral atypical femoral fractures due to inadequate monitoring. In response, a new search has been added to the medicines usage bundle to improve prescribing safety and raise awareness of the risks. Bisphosphonates, used to treat or prevent osteoporosis, must be taken correctly and can have serious side effects. Patients should be reviewed 12â16 weeks after starting treatment to check for side effects and ensure compliance, followed by annual reviews. A full reassessment, including consideration of a DEXA scan, is recommended after five years or sooner if clinical risk factors change or a new fracture occurs. The new searches are: On Bisphosphonate â Check as first issued >5 years ago On Bisphosphonate â Check as first issued >5 years ago + no DEXA in last 5y Additionally, The NICE CKS guidance for DOAC (Direct Oral Anticoagulant) monitoring has been updated to recommend more frequent blood tests, particularly for patients over 75 or those with frailty. Patients should have full blood count, renal, and liver function tests on each monitoring visit and at least annually, the frequency being dependent on renal function. For older or frail patients, testing should occur every four months. If creatinine clearance (CrCl) is below 60 mL/min, monitoring frequency should be based on CrCl divided by 10 (for example, every 3 months if CrCl is 30). Additional tests are advised if an intercurrent illness affects kidney or liver function. To support these changes, existing clinical searches have been updated. Standard searches continue to identify at-risk patients but may include slightly extended intervals, while enhanced searches align directly with the updated NICE guidance. Red text highlights the new wording and searches. Weâre continuing to take action to improve how we regulate, find out more.Â
Subscribe to our WhatsApp channel, where we share the latest updates on our new regulatory approach.
The Institute for Ethics in AI, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, is grateful for your participation in the AI in Social Care Summit 2025, which was a great success. In this newsletter, they are pleased to share key materials following the summit, including a White Paper that summarises the summitâs findings, an AI in Social Care guidance document, a media release, and additional resources. The guidance document supports the responsible use of Generative AI in social care, while the White Paper provides further insights. It's encouraged for tech providers to take the Pledge to support the social care community. The Institute also invites you to join the AI Call to Action and be part of the upcoming AI in Social Care Alliance. Further details and resources can be found in the newsletter. The Social Care institute for Excellence has launched its Social Care Impact Award. These aim to identify, recognise and reward small organisations doing exceptional work in social care. The deadline for entries is 9am on Wednesday 28 May. Find out more on the SCIE website. | 