The Care Inspectorate is currently reviewing its methodology ahead of the development and introduction of new national care standards. Part of this approach involves testing out new types of inspection more closely tailored to the type of service being inspected.

During Q1 and Q2 of 2015/16, the Care Inspectorate has developed follow-up inspections in services where concerns are such that a second inspection in the same year is due, and tested thematic inspections in some care homes for adults with a learning disability.

During Q3 and Q4, the Care Inspectorate is going to test two new proportionate inspection models in some highly performing services: validation inspections and early-years focused inspections.

What are the qualifying criteria for a these more proportionate inspections?

Certain types of services will qualify where:

  • they have grades of Very Good or Excellent across all themes and statements
  • they have had no upheld complaints since last inspection
  • there is no known intelligence that raises concern about the service and outcomes for people
  • the service has been inspected since the introduction of specialist teams.

The validation inspection

We will pilot about 100 validation inspections in 2015/16. The purpose is to test whether this more proportionate inspection is effective and efficient, and what resources are required. The purpose of the validation inspection is to assure the public that previous high standards are being maintained. The report will try to show what it is that makes the services perform well.

The approach will be piloted in the following services:

Service Type

Numbers in Pilot

Housing Support

 32

Day Care of Children

 36

Secure Service for Children (second inspection)

 5

Support Service without Care at Home

 24

Nurse Agencies

 5

Total

102

If further services present themselves as being suitable for this approach, they may be added to the pilot.

What is the methodology for validation inspections?

The inspections will not award grades (previous grades will stand), and will not use quality statements. The inspection will look at the provider’s quality assurance systems and how they monitor and ensure good outcomes for people. This will include the providers’ development plan and how they monitor this. The inspector will spend time during the inspection on focussing on the outcomes for people who use the service. This will include different methods of gathering the views of people who use the service.

We will continue to speak with service users and carers, and other professionals who have regular contact with the service including local authority contract monitoring and commissioning officers, district nurses, GP’s etc. These conversations will have a stronger focus on finding out about the quality of care and the views and experiences of people using the service.

Services should use the validation inspection findings to update their on-going improvement plans and reflect improvements in the dynamic self-assessment.

At any time, if the inspector deems it necessary, the inspector will be able to abandon the improvement visit and carry out a full, graded inspection.

The early years focused inspection

The early years focused inspection will take place in approximately 36 day care of children services, and will draw on experience from the childminder inspections.

Prior to the inspection visit the inspector will identify one or two key aspects for each quality theme related to the SHANARRI well-being indicators as the focus of the inspection. This will be in place of using specific statements. Grades will be awarded. The inspection will look at the provider’s quality assurance systems and how they monitor and ensure good outcomes for children. This will include the providers’ development plan and how they monitor this.

The Inspector will spend time during the inspection visit on focussing on the outcomes for children, parents and carers who use the service. This will include different methods of gathering their views of the service.

Inspectors will visit the service, observe children’s experiences and speak with their parents and carers, and report on improvements or continued good outcomes for children evidenced under our existing quality themes (but not quality statements). Inspectors will also speak with other professionals who have regular contact with the service including Social Workers, Psychologists and health professionals such as Health Visitors, Speech and Language Therapists etc. These conversations will have a stronger focus on finding out about the quality of care and the views and experiences of children using the service. This will contribute towards informing professional judgements on improvements or continued very good or excellent outcomes for children to the quality of care.

For more information, please contact Linda Kemp at the Care Inspectorate.