CQC assessment and DSPT compliance: responding to new changes

With the introduction of the CQC’s new regulatory approach, the Single Assessment Framework (“SAF”), providers will need to understand what the changes mean for them and how the CQC has identified specific measures that may adversely affect their assessment. It is essential to understand how easy it is to carry out assessments remotely.

Understand the impact of SAF

While the CQC offers a reassuring explanation that neither the regulations themselves nor the five key questions have changed, the reality is that there is much that is new. Quality statements, evidence categories, and corresponding links to best practice guidance are new, and while many healthcare providers can already provide evidence to demonstrate quality, some evidence categories allow healthcare providers to We need information that you don’t already have to provide. Consider the relationship with environmental sustainability under well-guided key questions.

Beneath each key question is a series of quality statements, expressed as “we” statements, that describe what good care looks like. Importantly, when CQC refers to ‘people’ in these quality statements, we mean the people who use our services, their families, friends and unpaid carers. Evidence categories form the basis of quality statements and some best practice guidance is provided for some evidence categories and CQC expects providers to be aware of and follow this guidance. is made clear. Scoring occurs at the evidence category level and is reflected in the score of the associated quality statement, which is translated into an evaluation at the key question level.

Remote assessment and DSPT

For some evidence categories, CQC can carry out remote assessments so easily that providers are wondering how CQC can do this.

For example, under the key question ‘well-guided’ are quality statements related to governance, management and sustainability. CQC provides a list of corresponding evidence categories and best practice. One of these relates to the Data Security Protection Toolkit (“DSPT”). CQC simply states: “We hope that providers are aware of and follow the following best practice guidance.” This expectation is a risk for providers and an opportunity to easily determine whether a provider is meeting CQC’s expectations through a remote assessment.

DSPT is an online tool that allows relevant organizations, including healthcare providers, to self-assess compliance against evidence and statements and measure performance against data security and information governance requirements mandated by the Department of Health and Human Services. All Her CQC registered healthcare providers are expected to complete the DSPT process annually and support is available from the Digital Care Her Hub to complete the process. Large providers should ensure that their DSPT is assigned an Organizational Data Code (ODS) so that it can be cascaded to their locations. Franchises usually require their own ODS.

In its December 2023 report for providers, CQC highlighted that there is a free e-learning course for all staff working in adult social care services in England. Importantly, this course fulfills his training requirements within DSPT.

Compliance and CQC assessment

It is very easy for anyone, including the CQC, to check online whether a provider meets at least the standards required within the DSPT. It is currently unclear how negatively the CQC will view ‘substandard’ DSPT results and non-registered organizations, and what its exact judgment and score will be.

In May 2023, DHSC published guidance entitled ‘Digital working in adult social care: A good look’. The guidance states that caregivers:If you are CQC registered, please complete the DSPT annually until you meet the minimum level of ‘Meet Standard’. ”

Data analysis by Better Security, Better Care on 1 December 2023 revealed that 32.65% of CQC registered locations were not DSPT compliant or not close to the standard.

How will this affect my CQC rating?

Given that CQC’s expectations are that providers should be aware of and follow best practice guidance, for providers the evidence category score should be either ‘1 – evidence indicates a significant lack’ or ‘2’ at best. – The evidence shows some deficiencies. Not DSPT compliant.

The impact of a score of 1 or 2 at the evidence category level is that CQC, using its professional judgment, may decide that it is necessary to limit the quality statement score. This can affect the provider’s overall rating. If the key question scores are in the good range, but one or more quality statements have a score of 1, the rating is limited to ‘requires improvement’. If the core question score is in the “excellent” range, but one or more quality statements have a score of 1 or 2, the rating is limited to “good”.

Ensure that providers are familiar with the new SAF terminology, best practice identified by CQC, and what evidence they will provide to CQC if asked, and what evidence CQC can obtain remotely without provider involvement. It is important to consider whether The Digital Care Hub’s Better Security, Better Care team provides free one-on-one support to providers, including completing the DSPT.

contact

Our team of specialist care solicitors are supporting providers to deal with the CQC changes. For further updates, please join our mailing list here or contact us on 01202 786135 or CQC@la-law.com.