I thought in my blog this week I would cover how here at Bettal Quality Consultancy we support people who are considering registering their domiciliary care service.
Most potential domiciliary care providers who approach Bettal come from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities. Some come with experience from a domiciliary care setting, nursing, medical or social work background. This year we have supported people from the UK, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Spain and Eastern Europe among others.
Regardless of their background one thing all new applicants have in common is the trepidation involved in what is expected of them when registering with the CQC. We see our job as providing an understanding of the process, and the documentation they will require to attain registration. Above all confidence in the process.
Our aim is to support potential providers of domiciliary care services to achieve successful registration through our sound expert advice, coupled with the documentation contained in the Cared4 Quality Management System and as a mark of its success this year more than 97% of our new customers have are now successfully registered.
In addition, unlike many of our competitors, Bettal provide all the guidance and advice needed for registration completely free to customers who subscribe to the Bettal online quality management system, that contains all the documentation a provider will require to run a domiciliary care service.
Expectations of CQC
CQC in their Guidance A Fresh Start to Registration state “in registering with us, we are, in effect, asking providers to make a commitment to people who may use their services that they will be able to deliver safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services”.
It is the role of staff at Bettal to ensure from the very beginning that our customers have a clear understanding that during the registration process they will be asked questions and required to provide evidence that enables them to demonstrate that their new service will be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.
Registration Process
The Bettal Director responsible ensures that customers applying for registration receive advice and guidance on the following:
A clear understanding of the registration process.
Where to access to CQC guidance on registration including: A Fresh Start to Registration. What is Location, Quick reference guide to regulated activities by service type.
Advice on completing the required documentation.
Access to all the documentation the applicant will require to achieve registration which is contained in the Bettal Cared4 on-line Quality Management System.
A clear understanding of the Key Lines of Enquiry.
An understanding of values and culture.
A clear understanding of good governance.
Advice on preparation for the CQC Inspectors registration interview.
Bettal supports registration applicants to understand that registration involves a 2-stage process.
Stage one is about applicants providing the CQC with information about the service they wish to operate including:
Statement of purpose including aims and objectives
Service type of people who will be using the service
Location of the service
Demonstrating that the applicant is a fit and proper person
Stage 2. This is where the applicant meets the inspector to go through the information that they have supplied. The inspector will ask a range of questions and to ensure that they can be satisfied that applicant understands and complies with the requirements of a safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led service along with the Fundamental Standards.
Bettal Quality Management System
The Bettal Quality Management System for domiciliary care has built within its policies and procedures the Key Lines of Enquiry. They contain evidence of the prompts that an inspector will use to confirm that the applicant is a fit and proper person to run a domiciliary care agency.
Summary
Senior management at Bettal Quality Consultancy recognised some time ago that making a charge for guidance on registration was having a negative effect on people prepared to set up a new domiciliary care agency. Some of Bettal’s competitors charge in excess of a thousand pounds for their guidance and advice which is a lot of money when starting up a new business. In essence, our decision to provide this service free of charge has proved to be the right one. As my readers are fully aware this is a tough time in social care services and Bettal wanted to give something back and hopefully encourage more people to set up their own domiciliary care agency.
There are now hundreds of domiciliary care agencies who have registered with the help and support of Bettal Quality Consultancy and thousands of staff who use the Bettal Quality Management System for Domiciliary Care.
What is even more encouraging is the increasing number of people seeking registration who are recommended to us. Bettal welcomes all potential domiciliary care agencies seeking registration to contact us. The advice and guidance we offer will not cost you anything.
Albert Cook BA, MA & Fellow Charted Quality Institute Managing Director Bettal Quality Consultancy