Care Home Ratings – How are they Calculated?
This article examines the work of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the official body which grades care homes (and a lot of other healthcare and social care facilities.
It looks at the methods they use when coming to their rating, what their priorities are, and the actions they can take if the care home is underperforming.
Finally, there’s a mention of some of the reasons why Baxendale Care Home has consistently been given ‘good’ ratings by the CQC.
This article is a three- to four-minute read
Baxendale Care Home has consistently been rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), but what does this mean, and how is the rating arrived at? Here we look at the history and work of the CQC, particularly as it applies to care homes and ourselves.
Baxendale Care Home – a Long-Term Retirement Home in North London
Baxendale Care Home, as a long- and short-term caring home in the Barnet area, is subject to the regulatory requirements of the CQC. This means we can expect regular visits from inspectors who usually have management experience in regulated services, and who often hold qualifications related to social care or nursing.
The Care Quality Commission’s History and Work
The CQC was established in England on April 1, 2009, by the Health and Social Care Act 2008. It replaced three existing regulators: the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission. This integration aimed to create a single, comprehensive regulator for all health and adult social care services.
The CQC’s core functions include registering, inspecting, and monitoring these services – including GP surgeries, hospitals, ambulance services and hospices, as well as care homes. It then publishes its findings and can take remedial action when problems are identified.
Each area of health and social care has its own metrics when it comes to grading, but in all cases, the idea is to protect patients from poor standards of care, and to provide a public record of how each organisation is doing. So if you need a care home for a loved one and want to know how good the local ones are, then this is a good resource to tap into – rather like schools and their Ofsted reports. This month has also seen the first ‘league table’ of NHS hospitals.
The Grading System
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rates care homes on a four-point scale:
- ‘Outstanding’ – this means the care home is performing exceptionally well. In percentage terms this means the home has scored between 88% and 100%.
- ‘Good’ – this signifies that the home is performing its functions well, in line with expected standards. The percentage score in this category is between 63-87%.
- ‘Requires Improvement’ – this shows the home is not performing as well as it should and the CQC has told the provider to make improvements. Homes in this category can score anywhere between 39% and 62%.
- ‘Inadequate’ – this means the service is performing poorly and the Commission will take action to protect people. Homes with this rating score 38% or lower on the percentage scale
‘Outstanding’ and ‘Good’ rated homes are typically inspected every five years or so, and ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ ones are inspected within a year and six months, respectively. There can also be focused inspections, which concentrate on a particular aspect of the home’s operations.
What do CQC Inspectors Look at During Care Home Visits?
Inspectors talk to staff (from senior management downwards), residents and their families and friends about life at the home. They also observe the daily activities at the home (without asking questions). They will also check documentation – for instance, care plans for individual residents and records of any staff training.
There are five main priorities which CQC inspectors look at when assessing any home – whether it’s safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The answers to these key questions are then aggregated, along with any additional professional judgements, to determine the final overall rating for the service.
The CQC uses a more detailed scoring system for individual quality statements within each key area, providing more transparency on how the final rating is reached. Most inspections take a day – although it can be longer if it’s a comprehensive visit, or the home is particularly large.
What Happens Afterwards?
Once the visit is completed, the CQC team will meet with management to give some feedback. A draft inspection report, which can be checked for factual accuracy, will follow within 10 days.
In worst-case scenarios, the inspection team can issue a warning or requirement notice, or can place the home into special measures. This can take the form of refusing to let it accept new residents, issuing fines, prosecuting the provider, or even cancelling the home’s registration to stop it from operating.
Baxendale Care Home’s Rating
Baxendale Care Home, a long-term retirement home in North London, has consistently achieved a ‘Good’ rating in all categories. You can check out the results of our latest inspection on the CQC website here.
This grading reflects the way we put our residents at the heart of everything we do, and how we look after our staff as well. We are in constant dialogue with our residents, checking that they are happy with the facilities we offer and the social events we lay on. We offer long and short-term care, respite care, and have a special dementia unit as well.
If you would like to become part of our team – or if you would like to become a resident at the home, subject to the availability of rooms – then check our contacts page here.
FAQS:
Are all care homes in England subject to CQC inspections?
Yes, all care homes in England must be registered with the CQC and provide certain ‘regulated activities.’ In the case of care homes, this usually means providing accommodation for people who require nursing or personal care as a starting point. In Scotland and Wales, care homes are administered by different regulatory bodies.
Do care homes usually get advance warning of a CQC inspection?
No, care homes do not typically receive advance notice of CQC visit inspections; they are usually unannounced to avoid disrupting the care being provided. However, in certain situations, such as when a provider is small or requires further checks due to concerns, the CQC may let the home know in advance when they are coming.
Has Baxendale been awarded any other high gradings?
Yes, at Baxendale we have a five-star food hygiene rating for our kitchen – the highest possible. It means that all our residents are well catered for, whatever their age or medical condition.
Our food is all freshly prepared on site every day, with hot and cold options always available. Our chef always takes account of any allergies or medical conditions when trying to satisfy every palette.