Adult Social Care Insights, Governance & Quality Improvement

Dependency tools can be useful, but they are only part of the solution when it comes to safe staffing. This blog looks at skill mix, changing resident needs and why the number on the tool should never be the end of the discussion

This week’s Adult Social Care Briefing looks at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings on adult social care, updated NHS Continuing Healthcare documentation, recent CQC inspection findings and a funded Care Workforce Pathway support programme.

This week’s Adult Social Care Briefing looks at the latest Skills for Care workforce findings, delegated healthcare activities, a National Patient Safety Alert on blood ketone testing, and recent CQC findings on staffing, leadership and assurance.

Some of the people who make the biggest difference in a care home are not always the ones delivering direct care. This blog reflects on the everyday relationships built by kitchen, domestic, maintenance, laundry and reception teams, and why those ordinary human connections matter so much.

How safe is safe enough? In Episode 3 of Beyond the Audit, I explore positive risk-taking in adult social care, the assumptions we make about people’s abilities, and how keeping people safe can quietly become stopping them living.

Person-centred care is about far more than adding someone's name to a care plan. I look at what care records actually tell us about the person, their choices and independence, and why poor mental capacity assessments can undermine genuinely person-centred care.

Moving to digital care records can improve care planning, oversight and access to information, but technology won’t fix poor records or weak governance. Using real CQC findings, I look at what can go right, what can go wrong and what providers should check before and after go-live.

When too much knowledge, judgement and follow-through sits with one person, a service can look strong while still being surprisingly fragile. Succession planning is not just about who might take over next; it is about developing people, sharing judgement and building enough leadership depth before you actually need it.

What happens in the first 24 hours after a significant incident can shape everything that follows. This article explores leadership, governance, Duty of Candour and why good organisations put people first when it matters most.

This week's Adult Social Care Briefing explores what the Workforce Strategy means for providers, alongside current CQC assessment priorities and the leadership actions organisations should be considering.

Adult Social Care Briefing cover featuring an editorial workspace symbolising evidence-based governance, assurance and quality improvement.

This week's Adult Social Care Briefing explores the Government's Fair Pay Agreement proposals, the expanded Care Workforce Pathway and the appointment of CQC's new Chief Executive, with practical insights for providers.

Different providers. Different services. Different inspectors. Yet the same themes continue to appear. Why do medicines, care planning, oversight and record keeping remain recurring findings in Requires Improvement reports?

When something goes wrong, nobody asks to see the training matrix. They ask whether the person had the knowledge, skills and competence to provide safe care

As Dementia Action Week comes to an end, perhaps the most important question is not simply whether people with dementia are safe.

Good governance is more than audits and action plans. This article explores how culture, leadership, accountability and organisational oversight influence quality and compliance in health and social care services