Will it make a difference?

[CeliaW]

I would hope so but, for a start, unless the inspections to achieve / mark for these ratings are possible, i.e there are enough staff employed to carry out thorough detailed and regular checks, then it's just a paper exercise.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28308104

Sent from my SM-T310 using Talking Point mobile app

 

[Saffie]

Well they only dropped their 3 star rating about 3 years ago.
The county book of homes I was given in 2011 showed the star rating for each home which I thought was useful. They then dropped the stars.

However, as still happens with their reports, the stars depended on ticking boxes and ticking them on the day, asking the right people and asking the right questions. It's so difficult to judge a place from the amount of time the inspectors spend there.
We have seen evidence of this from the glowing reports some of the homes reported on the television have received.

Having said that, any inspection is better than none and it might focus the minds of some care home owners who claim to have no knowledge of what is happening in their homes - if they are carried out properly and thoroughly.
Of course, this all depends on having enough inspectors and the money to pay them too!

 

[CeliaW]

I agree Saffie and it's having suitably aware staff in sufficient numbers that are astute enough to see beyond the boxes to be ticked, plus to have staff to respond promptly to issues.

An old boss of mine moved into care home inspection some years back and from the start his main comment was they just didn't have enough staff "on the ground"

 

[Saffie]

An old boss of mine moved into care home inspection some years back and from the start his main comment was they just didn't have enough staff "on the ground"

I doubt they ever will Celia, It's all about money!

 

[jaymor]

Just adding my thoughts here.

Inspections are just a snapshot on the day they visit.

My husband is in a nursing home that takes dementia sufferers with challenging behaviour. There are nine men on his floor and most days you would think it is a residential home, calm, laughter and somewhere I would be happy to live.

Another day there could be two men really having a difficult time and though most of the men are on 1:1 care so more staff than men, it can be chaotic because up to 4 staff may be needed per man to help them through their problems.

So if they come to inspect on a quiet day full tick boxes, if they came on a bad day how would they see the home? My daughter has been there on one of the visits and she was asked questions. She answered them quite clearly that had it not been a good home her Father would not be there. Our opinion of the home is it is first rate. At the moment I am visiting daily and for most of the day because of my husband's condition. So I see so much now and my opinion is still the same, excellent.

The inspections may be a deterrent for a home not to drop their standards but I think for us who need to use a home it is for us to visit, several times at different times of the day and see how the home works.

At the moment I am having problems with what I have been advised is an infestation of cluster flies. So a snap shot view of my home would have been poor hygiene, which is far from the truth.

Just my thoughts on these short inspections,

Jay

 

[CeliaW]

Very valid points Jan, thanks. I do feel there needs to be a robust way of monitoring but I don't know how effectively it can be done. Maybe the answer is in better training, pay and. more selective recruitment as much as anything. There are many excellent carers and many good or very good homes but the difficulty is removing or changing those that don't meet good standards.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Talking Point mobile app

 

[handyjack]

I think what's really needed instead of planned and unannounced inspections, is perhaps the placing of actors/actresses/secret agents in care homes for a few weeks, to report on the day to day activities. I know from experience that when the CQC arrive for any inspection, care and ancillary staff are made aware, and so are on their best behaviour. A lot of inspections are to do with checking if paperwork has been done. care plans updated, risk assessments in place, medical forms, etc, etc.

This plan by the government, isn't really necessary. There are already many measures in place to control care providers, without yet another level of measures. Perhaps I'm being cynical here, but it does seem like a job creation scheme (something the general public is going to have to fund through higher taxation)