Effective auditing in care: Defining an audit - part 2 of 13

2.0 DEFINING AN AUDITA good place to start in our understanding of auditing is to define what an auditing is trying to achieve. Putting it simply the purpose of auditing is: To obtain evidence of what you are doing in your practice to ensue it is in line with what you say you are going to do in your policies and procedures, care plans and other relevant documentation. Managers should note that CQC inspectors are using this approach as part of their audit trail by checking with service users and staff that the service is providing what they say will do in care plans and policies and procedures. The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) are to pilot the use of care audits in social care. They define a care audit as: A quality improvement cycle that involves review of the effectiveness of social care and social work practice against agreed and proven standards for high quality, and taking action to bring practice in line with these standards so as to improve the quality of care, experience and outcomes for people who use services and carers. Part 3 coming later this week. Albert CookManaging DirectorBettal Quality Consultancy Fellow Chartered Quality InstituteThe Cared 4 quality management system contains all the tools you require to carry out effective auditing. We are developed an audit pack to sit alongside these guidance notes which is available from Bettal Quality Consultancy. Please call us on 016977 41411 if you would like more information.