Increase in registered managers since CQC announced plans to take tough action
22 May 2014 02:38 PM
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has secured a
57% increase in the number of new registered managers across 2439 health and
social care services targeted in a six-month
project.
The
project which ran from November 2013 to April 2014 was set up by CQC last
September to improve the high number of locations operating without a
registered manager in place for the longest periods of time. This is in
addition to reviews carried out by CQC inspectors at locations across the whole
of England.
Based on project figures set out in yesterday’s
(Wednesday 21 May) CQC Board report, 1395 out of those locations now have a
registered manager in place.
A
further 470 (20%) manager applications have been submitted to CQC for
approval.
CQC
also used enforcement powers across 590 locations that failed to appoint or
submit an application for a registered manager. A high proportion responded
without the need for the regulator to take further action but 42% have paid a
Fixed Penalty Notice.
CQC
will continue to work with providers to ensure all health and adult social care
services that are required to have registered managers fill these
positions.
Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care
and Corporate Lead for Registration said: “This is really positive news
for people who are using services and I am very encouraged that providers have
responded to our challenge and taken steps to ensure that registered managers
are in post.
“We know the role of the registered manager is an
important one in making a difference to people’s experiences of care.
They are vital in helping to make sure people receive services that are safe,
effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
“As part of our new approach to changing the way
we inspect and regulate adult social care that we’re
currently consulting on, we are proposing that any location providing adult
social care services will not be able to achieve a rating higher than
‘requires improvement’ if it has been without a registered manager
(where one is required) for more than 6 months without reasonable
justification.”
Click here to view the full agenda and all reports
from this week’s Board meeting.
Ends
Notes to Editors
- Most providers of health and adult social care are
required to have registered managers in post for every location where they run
their services – including providers of dental, primary medical and adult
social care – according to the terms of their registration with CQC. The
same person can cover the role in more than one setting and for more than
one regulated care
activity.
- The
registered manager is legally responsible for ensuring services comply with the
national standards of safety and quality. They are the person who is in
day-to-day charge of the regulated activities carried out by the provider. They
are legally responsible with the provider, for ensuring compliance with the
essential standards of quality and safety.
- Regulation 5 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008
(Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 requires CQC to impose a registered
manager condition on the registration of most providers. The exceptions are:
when the provider is an individual who manages the service full time and NHS
trusts (unless the NHS trust provides services, such as care homes and
domiciliary agencies).
- The
maximum fixed penalty that CQC issues for a provider not having a registered
manager is £4,000. All payments are repaid to the Secretary of
State.
- In
September 2013, CQC announced at its public Board meeting that it would take
tough action against services that are without registered managers for the
longest periods of time. For further information, please visit our board meetings page and see the 18 September 2013
meeting or see item 10 in the document below.