During the Covid-19 pandemic we published key question 7 as an addition to our quality framework for support services (care at home, including supported living models of support).
In response to our learning from the pandemic and to incorporate a clearer focus on infection prevention and control, we have now updated this framework.
We have made important updates to reflect the changing practice and policy context in which care and support is now provided. These updates include:
- removing key question 7 and adding a new quality indicator 1.5, ‘People’s health and wellbeing benefits from safe infection prevention and control practice and procedures’.
- introducing ‘core assurances. These are some things we will always look at on our inspections because they are key areas that are essential to a service being safe.
The framework also supports services to evaluate their own performance and we have updated the self-evaluation guidance and toolkit, making it applicable across the whole framework. You can download the revised guidance and toolkit resources here.
From the 1 June, all support services (care at home, including supported living services) inspections will be undertaken using the updated framework and there will be no further use of key question 7 during inspections.
The revised framework, self-evaluation guidance and tools are available to download within the publications section of our website.