Form – Anti-bullying audit  

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Form – Anti-bullying audit  

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Checklist – Bullying policies and procedures  

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Toolkit – Reflective practice process  

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Exercise – How to practise mindfulness  

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Dos and Don’ts – Difficult conversations  

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Checklist - How to help mitigate the risk of unfair dismissals  

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Checklist – Writing effective care records  

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Record – Handling service users' money (domiciliary care)  

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Policy – Handling service users' money (domiciliary care)  

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Checklist – Performance management  

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Checklist – Communication and good care  

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Form - Manager motivational checklist  

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Checklist – What to include in your sickness absence policy  

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Checklist – Top 12 reasons for resistance to change  

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Checklist – Kotter’s 8 steps to change  

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Checklist – Menopause policy  

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Checklist – Onboarding staff in social care  

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Diagram - A guide to active listening  

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Checklist - Brushing up on communication skills  

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Diagram – The size of adult social care in England (all providers)  

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Self-assessment tool for the culture of your organisation (all providers)  

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Questionnaire – How resilient are you? (all providers)  

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Diagram – What makes a person resilient? (all providers)  

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Form – Code of Practice on infection control self-assessment (all providers)  

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Table – What your flexible work policy should include (all providers)  

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Form – Daily self-diagnosis (all providers)  

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Table – Using six Sigma in a project plan (all providers)  

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Form – SMARTER objectives (all providers)  

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Diagram – Maslow’s extended hierarchy (all providers)  

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Checklist – Compassionate leadership (all providers)  

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Form – Going home checklist for care staff (all providers)  

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Checklist – Whistleblowing (all providers)  

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Form – Equality competency assessment: action plan (all providers)  

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Form – MOCA-Test-English (all providers)  

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Form – Emotional intelligence development plan (all providers)  

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Form – Mood diary (all providers)  

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Checklist – Returning to work after a bereavement (all providers)  

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Form – Equality competency assessment (all providers)  

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Checklist – Sex discrimination (all providers)  

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Checklist – Personal data transfer from the EU and EEA to the UK (all providers)  

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Checklist – Health and safety policy (care homes)  

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Form – Stages of change leadership: Refreeze  

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Form – Stages of change leadership: Change  

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Form – Stages of change leadership: Unfreeze  

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Toolkit – Wellbeing: daily checklist  

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Form – Health and safety action plan (all providers)  

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Form – Managing health and safety (annual checklist) (all providers)  

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Form – Health and safety systems: primary policy (all providers)  

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Form – Supporting staff carrying out end-of-life care (all providers)  

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Checklist – Avoiding age discrimination (all providers)  

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Handout – Policy development: SWOT analysis (all providers)  

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Handout – H Fayol’s Functions of Management (all providers)  

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Form – Mental health care plan (all providers)  

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Form – Managing stress: CBT activity (all providers)  

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Form – Planning for supporting mental health (all providers)  

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Form – Weekly mental well-being plan (all providers)  

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Form – Life balance (all providers)  

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Discussion point – How open is your organisation? (all providers)  

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Handout – MOCA-Test-English  

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Policy – COVID-19 (domiciliary care)  

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Template – Wheel of life reflection tool (all providers)  

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Form – Five ways to wellbeing (all providers)  

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Checklist – Key questions on staff wellbeing (all providers)  

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Checklist – Wellbeing in the workplace: example survey questions (all providers)  

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Checklist – Top tips for coping with a crisis (all providers)  

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Table – SPIKES communication tool (all providers)  

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Handout – The emotional intelligence competence framework  

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Questionnaire – Personal and professional boundaries assessment (all providers)  

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Form – Delegation matrix (all providers)  

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Worked example – Antecedent Behaviour Consequence observation chart (all providers)  

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Handout – Personal and professional boundaries (all providers)  

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Checklist – Employee engagement  

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True or false Q&A – CQC five key questions (all providers)  

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Policy – Networking app usage  

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Checklist – Advance care planning (all providers)  

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Form – Project planning (all providers)  

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Checklist – Recording audit form (all providers)  

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Form – Post-training reflection: learners (all providers)  

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Form – Post-training evaluation: trainer (all providers)  

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Worked example – Provider information request (PIR) (community services)  

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Worked example – Provider information request (PIR) (residential services)  

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Form – Emotional intelligence MOT  

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Checklist – Framework for an emotional intelligence journal  

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Form – Evaluating your provision for emotional health and well-being  

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Checklist – Healthy teacher habits audit  

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Form – Healthy staff planning (all providers)  

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Policy – Business continuity (domiciliary care)  

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Policy – Business continuity (care homes and nursing homes)  

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Checklist – Resilience questionnaire for staff  

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Table – Good employer charter (all providers)  

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Table – Organisational action plan for resilience (all providers)  

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Form – In-house training course evaluation (all providers)  

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Table – Designing an in-house training system (all providers)  

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Checklist – Identify future managers and deputies in your service (all providers)  

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Checklist – Identify emerging talent in your service (all providers)  

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Form – Learning Disabilities Core Skills Education and Training Framework: training needs analysis for Tier 2 training (support workers)  

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Diagram – Cause and effect analysis (all providers)  

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Form – Build new networks to improve your service (all providers)  

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Checklist - Framework for an emotional intelligence journal  

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Preventing workplace bullying  

In this article, Steve Burnage explores the role of the care manager in identifying workplace bullying and establishing what actions to take.

Mindfulness in the workplace  

Angela Vincent discusses how using mindfulness in the workplace can lead to a happier and more productive workforce.

The importance of reflective practice  

In this article, Glenys Bridges talks about how reflective practice is a vital part of the CPD process in order to help assimilate the learning.

Supporting care workers in crisis  

Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers' Charity, discusses about how the organisation supports care workers in crisis. She looks at two case studies to demonstrate how they have helped care workers during difficult times.

The impact of the cost of living crisis on adult social care  

Liz Jones, Policy Director for the National Care Forum, talks about the cost of living crisis facing adult social care and the implications.

Difficult conversations  

Yvonne Hardiman talks about the importance of creating a positive, high-trust work environment where problems can be addressed in a timely and constructive manner.

Mitigating the risk of unfair dismissal claims  

In this article Yvonne Hardiman explores how to avoid unfair dismissal.

New beginnings: Reforms to social care funding  

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, talks about the reforms needed to provide a sustainable source of funding in order to solve the problems of social care.

Writing effective care records  

Tim Dallinger talks about what it means to keep effective care records.

Managing performance  

In this article Yvonne Hardiman gives top 10 tips to help managers to manage staff performance.

Fostering a motivated workforce  

Angela Vincent writes about how to engage and motivate your workforce.

Free article: Government U-turn on mandatory vaccination  

Liz Jones, policy director at the National Care Forum, reflects on the government’s U-turn on mandatory vaccines in the health and social care sector.

Sickness absence: Return to work and reasonable adjustments  

In this article, Yvonne Hardiman takes a whistle-stop tour of sickness absence from the employer’s point of view.

Free article: Being change-ready: embracing change and understanding resistance  

Skills for Care’s CEO Oonagh Smyth discusses the importance of embracing change and how social care leaders can manage change for their teams.

Onboarding new staff in social care  

Tim Dallinger looks at the challenge of onboarding new staff and offers some suggestions to make this process more effective. This article has been written with the aim of inviting the reader to question their current practice and consider how to improve it.

Time for change: the menopause  

Yvonne Hardiman discusses the menopause and why this is an equality issue that employers need to be aware of.

Brushing up on communication skills  

Angela Vincent writes about the importance of good communication skills in building relationships with your team.

Achieving our vision of a fair and just society, through access to care  

Oonagh Smyth, CEO of Skills for Care, discusses their new three-year strategy.

Free article: Social care workforce crisis: why it matters and why more action is needed now  

Liz Jones of the National Care Forum talks about the social care workforce crisis and why now is the time to act.

Essential care givers and their role in care home visits  

Professor Martin Green, Chair of the Care Provider Alliance and Chief Executive of Care England, discusses the valuable role of essential care givers and how to support them.

Free article: The Care Workers’ Charity – a safety net for the social care sector  

Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity, discusses the charity’s impact and its financial and wellbeing support offer for the UK’s social care workforce.

Focus on family friendly working  

Yvonne Hardiman talks about how organisations can support work–life balance in the workplace, particularly in relation to families.

Supporting the mental wellbeing of care workers  

Kathy Roberts, Chair of the Care Provider Alliance and CEO of the Association of Mental Health Providers, discusses how to support your staff’s mental health.

Compassion fatigue: the cost of caring  

Jayne Ellis of EF Training talks about how to support staff who are suffering from compassion fatigue.

CQC’s five-year strategy  

Whither CQC over the next five years? Will providers see a revolution in the way they are regulated or a steady evolution? Neil Grant discusses.

A vision for the future of social care  

Professor Martin Green of Care England talks about how to reform the social care system to meet the sector’s needs in the future.

Management techniques  

Glenys Bridges talks about four different management techniques that can help care managers to improve efficiency.

Free article: Pandemic burnout in the care profession  

Angela Vincent looks at how care workers can be supported to prevent burnout as a result of the pandemic.

Care sector recruitment: challenges and possible solutions  

Tim Dallinger considers current challenges in recruiting to the care sector and possible solutions.

Compassionate leadership  

Ian Whitehouse of Advanced Clinical Solutions discusses the importance of compassionate leadership during the pandemic.

Free article: Whistleblowing in the care sector: a legal overview  

Neil Grant of Gordons Partnership LLP discusses the legal aspects of whistleblowing.

Leadership matters in a post-pandemic world  

Skills for Care CEO Oonagh Smyth considers how important effective adult social care leaders have been during the COVID-19 crisis and the critical role they will play in a post-pandemic world.

How emotionally intelligent are you?  

As a care manager, you are constantly working with a wide range of people. Understanding your own level of emotional intelligence (EI) is an important factor in working well with and supporting others. This article explains the benefits and how we can improve our own EI.

Free article: Supporting staff through bereavement  

Angela Vincent talks about how bereavement can affect care staff and how to support them through this difficult time.

Sex discrimination  

Yvonne Hardiman explains the employer’s legal obligations regarding sex discrimination in the workplace, and measures they can put in place to avoid discrimination.

Personal data transfers from the EU and UK  

 Faye Cheung of Naomi Korn Associates looks at the guidance on personal data transfers from the EU and EEA to the UK and how this affects health and social care providers.

Movement of staff between care settings  

Tim Dallinger explains the government proposals to regulate to stop movement of staff between care settings.

Brexit after the transition period: impact on providers  

Benjamin Bull at Gordons Partnership LLP talks about how Brexit will affect adult social care providers.

Promoting staff wellbeing in the workplace  

Angela Vincent talks about the importance of promoting staff wellbeing through self-care in the workplace and what we can learn from the Scandinavian approach to work.

Change leadership  

Change leadershipCare providers have experienced a lot of changes over the last few months. Kenny Wheeler talks about how to lead changes and breaks down the elements of leadership and management, and what it looks like when change happens.

Free article: Supporting care home staff during and after end-of-life care  

Angela Vincent gives timely advice on supporting staff looking after dying residents and dealing with loss.

Are your policies and procedures fit for purpose?  

Glenys Bridges talks about how to ensure your policies and procedures are fit for purpose, particularly important during the pandemic.

Free article: Equality: Age is just a number  

Yvonne Hardiman discusses how to avoid age discrimination in your workplace and benefit from a multi-generational workforce.

COVID-19: Time to review your health and safety policy  

Mike Ellerby argues that now is the time to review your health and safety policies to continue to protect staff and service users.

Free article: Mental health and management style  

In her second article on mental health at work, Yvonne Hardiman looks at the importance of good management to mental health.

Free article: COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned  

Tim Dallinger asks what can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic and how will this influence social care in the future.

Dealing with COVID-19 in domiciliary home care  

Martin Hodgson summarises the Public Health England (PHE) advice for domiciliary care during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Racial equality in the spotlight  

Yvonne Hardiman takes a timely look at racial equality in the workplace.

Closed cultures: where are we now?  

Susan Hunneyball, solicitor at Gordons Partnership LLP, talks about the CQC guidance on closed cultures.

Free article: Talking about mental wellbeing  

As many health and social care staff are facing huge challenges due to COVID-19, Yvonne Hardiman takes a timely look at mental health in the workplace.

Free article: A day in the life of a home care manager  

Two managers at Bluebird Care describe a ‘normal’ day at work

Liberty Protection Safeguards update  

Maria Nicholas, of Guile Nicholas Solicitors, provides an update on the progress of the new Liberty Protection Safeguards.

Free article: Coping in a crisis  

Yvonne Hardiman provides timely advice on how to cope in a crisis.

Free article: Carrying out an infection control audit  

Tim Dallinger provides timely guidance on ensuring that your infection control procedures are fit for purpose.

Coronavirus: the employment implications  

Glenys Bridges provides a summary of the employment implications of the coronavirus outbreak.

Coronavirus Act 2020: the impact on the social care sector  

Neil Grant describes the measures introduced in the Coronavirus Act 2020 and what they mean for adult social care.

Understanding and developing emotional intelligence  

Anne Castle talks about the principles of emotional intelligence and how you can develop EQ skills to help you at work.

The art of delegating  

School business managers have a lot on their to-do lists, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed. In this article, Andrew Blench shines a light on the often underused skill of delegation, and outlines how to delegate effectively.

Leadership: Creating a sense of urgency for change  

Part of a leadership role is spotting when change is needed, and persuading others of that. This article looks at introducing change, the pitfalls and how to maintain progress.

Getting to the root cause of high staff turnover  

Yvonne Hardiman, HR consultant and trainer, gives some practical tips on improving employee engagement and retention.

Developing future leaders in social care  

Skills for Care’s Graduate Programme Manager, Tina Colley, reflects on the impact its programme has on the organisations hosting the next generation of sector leaders and managers.

Effective record-keeping  

Tim Dallinger discusses the importance of keeping clear, accurate records.

Team communication challenges and how to solve them  

When communication breaks down in a school business team, the impact is felt across the school and recovery can be difficult. Steve Burnage looks at common communication challenges, and strategies to help resolve them.

Embedding training into practice  

Tim Dallinger talks about putting training into practice.

Free article: Supporting and developing managers  

Georgina Turner, Director of Engagement at Skills for Care, looks at the value of continuing professional development (CPD) for managers and future leaders in social care.

Free article: Leadership: Emotional intelligence  

Thinking about leadership as a set of skills that can be developed, Kenny Wheeler writes about what emotional intelligence looks like, and why it is so important.

Free article: Promoting staff well-being: seven ways to encourage employee health  

In this article Steve Burnage shares seven ways in which organisations can support their staff in taking better care of themselves.

Free article: How Bluebird Care Cherwell became an ‘outstanding’ home care provider  

Suzzanne Elgar, Director of Bluebird Care Cherwell, discusses how the care provider came to be rated ‘outstanding’ and how you can best prepare for a CQC inspection.

Delivering an in-house training session  

In the last issue, Tim Dallinger looked at designing an in-house training session. In this issue, he looks at how to deliver the training session.

Free article: Developing staff resilience  

Karen Morse, national lead for mental health at Skills for Care, looks at how adult social care managers can develop the resilience and well-being of their staff.

CQC human rights update  

Martin Hodgson looks at the CQC updated guidance on human rights and regulation.

Designing an in-house training session  

Tim Dallinger is an expert trainer who designs and delivers training courses. In this article, he talks about designing and delivering an in-house training session.

Free article: Developing the next generation of leaders  

Andy Tilden, CEO for Skills for Care, looks at why now is the time for adult social care providers to develop the next generation of leaders.

Leadership: Emotional intelligence  

Thinking about leadership as a set of skills that can be developed. Kenny Wheeler writes about what emotional intelligence looks like, and why it is so important.

Understanding and managing workplace stress  

Andrew Blench considers the different manifestations of stress, and the ways that different personalities can handle stress to ensure an efficient, productive workplace.

Critically evaluating your staff training  

Tim Dallinger provides advice on how to assess whether a training course is worth the investment involved.

Safely employing someone with a criminal record  

A criminal record shouldn’t be an automatic barrier to working in adult social care, explains Skills for Care’s Jeanine Willoughby.

The use of new technology in adult social care  

Martin Hodgson gives an overview of the new CQC resource on the use of technology in adult social care.

Free article: NHS 10-year long term plan  

Martin Hogson looks at the new long term plan for the NHS.

Free article: Leadership: Developing your own style  

In the second article of our series about leadership, Kenny Wheeler asks you what type of leader would you like to be, and what type of leader does your setting need?

Free article: Leadership: Planning for the future  

In the first article of a new series around ideas of leadership, Kenny Wheeler asks you to consider what impact leadership skills might have on your future.

Free article: Balancing professional development with a demanding workload  

With care managers focusing on attaining high standards of professionalism, the issue of continuing professional development is a concern. This article gives seven ways to successful engagement with organised training.

Supervision and appraisal  

Tim Dallinger clarifies the difference between supervision and appraisal and considers the features of effective supervision.

Is staff training a burden or an investment?  

Tim Dallinger argues the case that staff training is an investment in the quality of the service provided.

Free article: Research into registered managers  

Oliver French at Skills for Care looks at the evolving role of the registered manager, based on recent Skills for Care research.

CQC annual State of Care report 2017-18  

Martin Hodgson looks at the latest CQC annual report.

Free article: Investing in well-being shouldn’t be optional  

Georgina Turner of Skills for Care explains why supporting registered managers to invest in their own well-being is no longer just a ‘nice to have’.

Learning to lead: Developing your leadership skills  

Recent research shows that often we confuse good leadership with good self-presentation, but introverted leaders can be equally effective. Louise Wingrove discusses the goals and skills which good leaders should strive for.

Effective leadership: Building effective teams  

Steve Burnage offers advice on motivating staff, getting the best from them and building effective teams.

Leadership styles: What’s yours?  

Louise Wingrove outlines different approaches to leadership and considers how and when they could be used.

Experience shared: Working with a mentor  

In this follow-up article to ‘Experience shared: Effective mentoring’, Steve Burnage explores the professional development potential of a productive and focused mentoring relationship from the perspective of the mentee.

Experience shared: How to be an effective mentor  

This article looks at how a productive and focused mentoring relationship can be used to develop and retain staff in the care sector.

Free article: Making an impact: The signs of leadership  

Louise Wingrove looks at the work involved in being a leader within the workplace.

Free article: The art of influencing: Creating the best outcomes  

Louise Wingrove looks at how being aware of your impact on others can help everybody get what they need.

Free article: Crisis communications and management for care homes  

Anokhi Madhavji at PLMR, talks about how care providers can achieve positive communications in a crisis.

The General Data Protection Regulations  

Quantum Care’s CEO, Maria Ball, gives her advice on how best to prepare for the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Leadership and governance in social care  

Tim Dallinger looks at common pitfalls in leadership and governance and how to avoid them.

Free article: Leadership that drives continuous improvement  

Tim Dallinger looks at CQC’s plans for inspecting the leadership of care organisations.

Leadership style  

Jim Thomas talks about how the leadership style of the care manager can influence the direction of the organisation, and can be a juggling act.

Managing uncertainty  

If you are struggling with a sense of uncertainty, be reassured: you are not alone. 2016 has been a year of upheaval, with the promise of big changes on the horizon. Louise Wingrove has some suggestions for how to cope while everything feels up in the air.

Q. We have been told by another provider that we should make our statement of purpose and service user guide available in an ‘easy read’ format. Is this a legal requirement?  

A. Since 2016, all organisations providing health or social care services have been legally required to comply with the accessible information standard (AIS). The AIS requires services to identify disability-related information or communication needs, record these needs clearly, flag up these needs so that all staff are aware of them, share this information with other professionals and meet individual communication needs.

Q. For many years we have asked the families of the people we support to sign care plans. We have been told that we should not be doing this anymore. Some of the people we support do not understand their care plan, so how can they possibly sign it?  

A. Regulation 9 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requires care providers to involve people in all aspects of the care plan process.

Q. What subjects should be included in the professional development plan for our registered manager?  

A. The registered manager’s professional development is often overlooked. Like all of the other staff they need to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Let us first look at why this is often neglected. Reasons include a lack of available time, not seeing the importance of professional development, and the often-mistaken belief that there is nothing left for them to learn.

Q. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on our care home occupancy rate and hence finances. How can we increase and maintain occupancy?  

A. If only there were a magic formula to increase care home occupancy (and home care clients for that matter). Sadly, such a thing does not exist. The marketeers will tell you that it’s all about marketing. In reality that is only part of the solution. Think about why people buy your services. Often it is a distress purchase driven by the haste to find something suitable within an often-inadequate budget against a backdrop of grief and sadness. These are hardly circumstances conducive to robust decision-making, and often led to the search continuing once the person is accommodated in your service, albeit, unknown to you, temporarily!

Q. What action should we take to prepare for the implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards?  

A. The Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) are now planned to come into force by April 2022. This was delayed from October 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q. We have been looking at how we undertake investigations in our service. Rather than look to apportion blame, we would like to focus on finding out what went wrong and how we can learn from this. What tools are available for us to do this?  

A. You are wise to focus your investigations on learning lessons when things go wrong. This fits with the ‘Is it safe?’ key line of enquiry and prompt S6: Learning lessons when things go wrong. One useful tool to use in such circumstances is root cause analysis. One way to do this is the ‘Five Whys’, which is used by the NHS to investigate incidents.

Q. How can we continue to provide staff with essential training when face-to-face training is in contravention of social distancing?  

A. In April 2020, Skills for Care updated its guidance on how staff training should be completed. This guidance is clear that face-to-face training is not safe and all training should be delivered remotely.

Q. We have become aware that some of our care staff have been ‘gossiping’ with service users about other service users. Often it is the service user who initiates the conversation.  

We have told our staff that this gossiping is not acceptable, but they say that they are just chatting about what the service user wishes to chat about. How can we manage this situation?

A. This is an issue that is prevalent in both care homes and home care and it is fuelled by natural human curiosity and the ‘need to know’. However, situations such as this can cause problems for care providers and care staff, as there is the potential for breach of confidentiality and safeguarding referrals.

Q. We have heard that the CQC expects us to record different types of medication recording errors. What are the different types of recording errors?  

A. In the new annual PIR, which was introduced in September 2019, the CQC requires care providers to record data on the number of medicine errors that have occurred in the 12 months up to the date of the PIR return.

Q. We have appointed a deputy manager for our care service and we have their Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) first check back. Can they start work before the enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check comes back?  

A. The CQC provides detailed guidance on the subject of DBS checks. It says that care providers may employ someone in advance of the enhanced DBS check being received, as long as the provider can demonstrate a justifiable reason for this and the provider has completed a robust risk assessment before beginning employment. A justifiable reason would be something like a serious staff shortage and if the staff member was not employed then the well-being of service users would be affected.

The risk assessment must cover the prospective employee’s employment history and information obtained from all previous employers in the health and social care sector. Control measures may include full-time supervision of the employee by a senior member of staff until the enhanced DBS check is received.

These days DBS checks are processed within a few days or weeks. If a DBS check takes longer, this may indicate that it contains information. In the case of a deputy manager, it would be a challenge to justify beginning employment before the enhanced DBS is received, and the supervision arrangements would be impractical. However, as the CQC says, it is for the provider to make the decision who to employ and when.

 

Q. What training should home care workers have?  

A. There is no definitive list of what training care workers should have. Many years ago, there was a mythical list of ‘mandatory’ training, but this does not seem to be enshrined in law or guidance. Often the specifications that accompany local authority con-tracts refer to a list of required training. NICE NG21 recommends that home care workers have training that includes: common conditions, such as dementia, diabetes, mental health; neurological conditions; physical and learning disabilities and sensory loss; common care needs, such as nutrition, hydration and issues related to overall skin integrity; common support needs, such as dealing with bereavement and end‑of‑life; and deterioration in someone's health or circumstances.

Q. How should we regard the recent CQC publication Smiling matters: oral health care in care homes? Is it a legal requirement to follow this guidance?  

A. The CQC published this guidance in June 2019 (https://tinyurl.com/CQCSmiling), following a review of the state of oral health care in care homes in England.

Q. I have read in the inspection report for another care provider that they have a medication lead. Is this a requirement, and if so, what is the role of the medication lead?  

A. While is it not an explicit requirement to have a medication lead, it is hard to justify not having someone with control and over-sight of medication management in a care service. NICE NG67: Managing medicines for adults receiving social care in the community (https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng67) and NICE SC1: Managing medicines in care homes (www.nice.org.uk/guidance/sc1) both state that social care providers should ensure that local governance arrangements make sure it is clear who is accountable and responsible for providing medicines support.

Q. How can I find out the demand for the type of service we offer in our local area? We require this information for our business plan.  

A. There are two easily accessible sources of information. The first is the market position statement published by the local authority.

Q. Who should pay for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check?  

A. The government guidance on DBS checks does not state who should pay for the check. This is an often contentious issue that care providers and those who work in the care sector face.

Q. We are a care home provider. What action should we take in response to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) advice on our consumer law obligations?  

A. Care homes may need to change their contract terms and business practices as a result of the advice from the CMA contained in UK care home providers for older people – advice on consumer law: helping care homes comply with their consumer law obligations.

Q. I was alerted to the CQC’s ‘Learning from safety incidents’ resources the other day. Some of these situations would be applicable in our service. How can we show that we have responded to this information?  

A. There are currently seven safety incidents that the CQC has provided information on.

Q. The revised KLOEs require us to have a clear vision and credible strategy to deliver high-quality care and support. What does this mean in practice?  

A. The ‘Is it well-led’ prompt W1 asks ‘Is there a clear vision and credible strategy to deliver high-quality care and support, and promote a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering, which achieves good outcomes for people?’.

Q. How do I write a training plan for my staff team?