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Single Assessment Framework version

All services - change

GO Online: Inspection toolkit

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Providing information

Timely information, effective communication, and the best use of available technologies to support this are important factors of responsive care.

The following film provides a summary of this area of inspection. It can help you and your teams learn about what will be inspected and what is important to demonstrate to deliver good or outstanding care.

Introducing Providing information

Duration 01 min 53 sec

Whatever information you provide to people, this should be tailored to meet their individual needs.

To be responsive, you will need to provide timely and accurate information that is. effectively communicated in a way that it can be clearly understood.

Training and support can help your team to improve their communication, but you should look at how needs might be met by the latest technologies too.

The CQC will be looking at compliance with the Accessible Information Standard, so ensure your ways of working align with this. Inspectors are likely to take a close look at providing accessible information about a person’s care to assure themselves that the service is open and transparent.

A good understanding and careful compliance with GDPR across the team will also be needed. Be prepared to share examples and evidence of what you do to protect personal data whilst not limiting your communication with individuals.

CQC inspectors may choose to interview people about how skilled staff are in how they communicate, how information is shared, and how they check understanding to ensure the care that is provided is an informed choice.

Managers may be asked about how they selected technologies, whilst staff may be asked about how they were trained to help people use the different systems available.

Documented evidence you may need to provide include staff training on subjects including information and use of technology. They may also ask to see records detailing people’s communication needs, their preferences and what communication aids are used.

GO Online brings together recommendations, practical examples, and resources to help.

Watch the film here: https://vimeo.com/788208535

Recommendations

These recommendations act as a checklist to what the CQC will be looking for. Skills for Care has reviewed hundreds of inspection reports and identified these recommendations as recurring good practice in providers that meet CQC expectations.

The CQC is non-prescriptive, which means they don’t tell you what must be done in order to meet their Quality Statement. These recommendations are not intended to be a definitive list and some recommendations might not be relevant to your service. We hope they help you reflect on what evidence you might wish to share with the CQC.

Providing information

  • We can evidence how we effectively tailor our communications to the individuals we support.
  • We help people to choose their care and treatment options based on the latest information and advice.
  • We ensure the way we communicate aligns closely with good and best practice, including the Accessible Information Standard.
  • We include information about how to effectively communicate with the person in their care plans, revising as and when these needs change.
  • Where digital care plans are used, we ensure that the people we support can access the care plans and that it’s in an accessible format.
  • We use creative ways to make sure each person can express their thoughts in an accessible, tailored, and inclusive means of communication.
  • We empower our staff to respond to people’s changing needs, ensuring new assistive technology, aids and adaptions are accessed in a timely manner.
  • We use a range of communication tools to enable people to express their views.
  • We ensure our staff understand technology as this enables them to promote practical options to access information and minimise risks from social isolation.
  • We use technology to enable the service to effectively engage with others (e.g., video conferencing with healthcare professionals or family/relatives/ friends).
  • We are proactive in how we keep up-to-date on latest innovations, systems, and tools to strengthen how we communicate.
  • Before we introduce new communication technologies and tools, we ensure all our staff are fully capable and confident to use them.
  • We recruit staff with the skills to communicate effectively with the people we support, arranging additional extra training where more specialist communication skills are needed.
  • Our staff teams always find the most effective ways to communicate with the people we support, helping to empower, reassure and alleviate any distress they may have.
  • We adhere to good and best practice approaches when providing information (e.g., Caldicott Guardians etc.).
  • We have practical evidence at hand to demonstrate how we communicate with others (e.g., emails to family members, healthcare professionals etc.).
  • We are always respectful and protect people’s privacy as part of the ways we communicate, including strict adherence to protecting information they do not wish to be shared.
  • We ensure that all telephone, emails and other documented communications are securely saved and shared in compliance with UK GDPR and other data protection good and best practice.
  • We provide information in a format that follows consumer rights best practice, including when communicating about contracts and charges.

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