The CQC single assessment framework – everything you need to know

What is changing, what is remaining, and what you need to know about the CQC single assessment framework 

Later this year, and into 2024, the CQC will be introducing the new single assessment framework in phrases which will replace the existing key lines of enquiry (KLOEs). The new framework was rolled out in the South network beginning on 21st November and then to the rest of England by March 2024. 

The main reasons behind the change are to make the process of evaluation simpler, so that the CQC can focus on the areas that are of the highest importance, as well as the need the better reflect how care is being delivered when taking the different types of services as well as a local area into account, and the recognition of the need for one framework that connects the CQC’s registration activity to their assessments of quality. 

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Single assessment framework – what will be different?

Though the five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led) and the four-point ratings scale (outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate) will remain, the key lines of enquiry will be replaced by new quality statements. 

Using these quality statements, the CQC aim to reduce the duplication that currently exists in the four current separate assessment frameworks, and instead allow them to focus on a specific topic in a specific area that will come under each question, which will link to the relevant regulations to make it easier for providers to understand what the CQC are looking for. 

For example, the quality statements mentioned above will be framed as ‘we statements’, which will be written from a provider’s perspective to help them understand what the CQC is expecting from them. There will also be ‘I statements’ that are written from the perspective of a person being cared for, which will outline specifically what care providers should achieve when it comes to providing person-centred care.  

The CQC also say that they will base their assessments of quality in all types of service and at all levels on this single assessment framework, which should create a linier, simple to follow process when it comes to compliance and the understanding of what constitutes outstanding care. 

The six evidence categories – what to expect

The CQC have developed six categories for the evidence they collect for the single assessment framework which they will use to make judgments more structured, focused and consistent.  

It’s important to know how the CQC will define the process of evidence gathering within these categories so you know how you can prepare. These categories are based on: 

Statement details to consider

Rather than having the key lines of enquiry based on the five questions that the CQC ask, instead quality statements will be used in relation to whether a services provision of care is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.  

The CQC define these statements as the commitments that providers, commissioners and system leaders should live up to. These quality statements will be expressed as ‘we statements’ and are designed to act as examples of what is needed to deliver outstanding person-centred care.  

The CQC will also be using ‘I statements’ as part of their assessment framework. These statements will reflect what people have said matters most to them when it comes to the process and quality of care provision.  

Examples of ‘we statements’ and ‘I statements’ from each of the five key questions

The five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led) will be broken down into quality statements based on aspects of the questions: 

Safe 

How to remain compliant with the CQC’s new single assessment framework 

The CQC have said that they want to be clearer with providers and the public about how they use the information they have about care in a service or local area. Therefore, they state that for each quality statement, they will state which evidence they will need to collect and look at. 

This will depend on certain variables, such as whether a care home has recently opened or whether it has been operating for a long time among other levels and variables.  

But the one fact underpinning the phasing out of the key lines of enquiry and the adoption of the single assessment framework is the need for more straightforward, easy-to-understand regulations so that care homes can know exactly what is expected from them in the provision of care and the evidencing of care. They are also using the single assessment framework to clearly define best practice from an operational point of view and a holistic care approach, to ensure the balance between the administration and human element is always maintained, with one never outweighing the other. 

The best way to ensure both challenges are met and exceeded to achieve an outstanding CQC rating is to invest in Person Centred Software’s Connected Care Platform, which offers care providers solutions to the most challenging aspects of health and social care, such as medication management, wellness and activities, care planning and care home operations.

The above quality statements relating to the key questions were just one of a multitude of different statements that will need to be understood and complied with, which may sound daunting, but the all-in-one, easy-to-use software available from Person Centred Software ensures that every aspect of care provision, from care notes to wellbeing to medication management and everything in between, is well-placed to be improved, streamlined and evidenced to the highest standard possible.