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Cura Systems, CQC KLOE Caring 1Mar, 2020
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How technology can help meet key lines of enquiry

Technology in care has become increasingly important, transforming the way in which care is delivered and the use of digital care systems has resulted in many people experiencing better and safer care, says John Rowley, senior sales manager at Cura Systems.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) annual assessment of the state of health and social care in England shows how providers are working together more effectively – often using technology – to help ensure people get the care they need, when they need it.1 The report has highlighted how the innovative use of technology can help address the five key lines of enquiry (KLOE) and supports the use of technology to improve the delivery of quality care. Every care home wants to be validated with an outstanding certification for all the effort put in to creating and consistently delivering person-centred care, but what makes an outstanding care home? This article will consider ways to achieve an outstanding rating for each line of investigation.

How Technology Supports CQC’s Definition of “Safe” Care

Is your service safe?

An outstanding care home must be safe. The CQC defines ‘safe’ as meaning that people are protected from abuse and avoidable harm. When the time comes for a loved one to move into a care home, it is only natural that the first and overriding concern will be for their safety. Entrusting a mum, dad, husband or wife to the care of strangers pushes against natural instincts to do all that we can to protect and provide for them ourselves.

Choosing the right care home is one of the biggest and most difficult decisions to make and safety will figure very prominently in selecting one. Care homes need to have appropriate tools to demonstrate to relatives of prospective residents their ability to monitor safety. Recognising these concerns, the first question asked by the CQC is always about safety.

In this instance, safe means taking every possible step to ensure that residents are protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Abuse can be physical, sexual, mental or psychological or financial, involving neglect or institutional or discriminatory abuse.

Avoidable harm will consider everything from medicines management to the safe use of facilities and equipment. CQC scrutiny is robust to ensure that all these conditions are met and inspection reports provide families and loved ones with the information they need regarding the ability of a home to meet these conditions consistently.

Aspects of ‘safe’ that directly relate to the use of technology include:

  • staff are skilled and well equipped with all the information and tools required to provide outstanding care and protection from any safeguarding and compliance issues
  • detailed records of incident reports to protect from being bullied, harassed, harmed, neglected or abused
  • incident report trigger to deal with quickly and openly monitor incidents and accidents and a care app that instantly sends reminders and reports incidents to ensure everyone is aware and corrective action is taken
  • assessment forms to monitor medical conditions providing peace of mind with customised assessments and care plans, medication reminders and tracking
  • monitoring drug rounds throughout the home, including reminders for those administering medicines and alerts for when rounds have not been completed; drug rounds can be tracked as they happen, with automated mishap prevention mechanisms
  • timely preparation and review of health and safety checklist specific to each resident as well as for general facilities; the home should be kept clean and hygienic to prevent any risk of infection to residents and visitors.

Electronic care plans and mobile monitoring care apps can play a significant role in supporting care home managers to meet and exceed CQC standards.

Cura recognises the critical importance of safety in care. Cura’s suite of applications supports care staff by giving them the information they need to ensure that they meet CQC’s criteria, including the safe delivery of care.

Cura Systems, CQC KLOE Caring 17Jun, 2019
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Putting care back into care homes

An outstanding care home must be caring, one of the CQC’s five key lines of enquiry. In the third of our new series, we look at how care home owners and key decision makers can ensure they meet the CQC’s criteria.

In the best care homes, all staff involve and treat their residents with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. It should not need saying but these qualities must be at the centre of all care and in all residential and nursing homes.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the body responsible for ensuring the highest standards of care, asks five key questions when it monitors services to help focus on the things that matter to people. 

The fourth question is absolutely critical: are staff caring?

All homes set out to do the best for residents and to create a caring environment. Sometimes, in a busy environment, maintaining the highest standards all the time can be a challenge. Understanding the CQC’s line of enquiry can help to ensure that these standards are maintained or exceeded.

KLOE Caring

The CQC expects staff to treat people with kindness and compassion in their day-to-day care and support. Evidencing of care is critical. The CQC will look for evidence that people, and those close to them, feel they matter. This means that staff listen to them and talk to them appropriately, in a way they can understand. To do this, staff need to know the people they are caring for, including their preferences and personal histories. In a good home, staff show concern for people’s wellbeing in a caring and meaningful way, and respond to their needs promptly. Compassionate, respectful and empathetic behaviour is understood and promoted within the staff team.

The service should support residents to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care, support and treatment as far as possible. Staff recognise when residents need and want support from their carers, advocates or representatives to help them understand and be involved in their care, treatment and support.  Staff give information to residents, their families and other carers about external bodies, community organisations and advocacy services that can provide independent support and advice, answer questions about their care, treatment and support, and, where necessary, advocate for them.  Relatives and friends should feel welcome and able to visit without being unnecessarily restricted.

Respecting and promoting people’s privacy, dignity and independence is essential, including during physical and intimate care. Staff should respond in a compassionate and timely way when residents experience physical pain, discomfort or emotional distress. Information about them should be treated confidentially in a way that complies with the Data Protection Act.

The service must make sure that young adults have choice and flexibility about their privacy and the amount of parental involvement in managing their care and support after moving into adult services.

Cura means care, and we are committed to supporting owners and managers to deliver outstanding care. We help care homes with the most demanding needs to deliver better quality outcomes by automating more daily tasks for management and caregivers than any other care home software. When it comes to caring, our care home management systems support staff with the information they need about residents and help managers foster a positive, caring environment.

Our electronic care planning record and mobile care applications support care home managers to meet and exceed CQC standards. Our comprehensive care home systems deliver real benefits to everyone connected to the home.

  • We hope you enjoyed this article. Look out for further articles here on what makes an outstanding care home as recognised by the CQC.

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