As we discussed in the previous unit, it is important to ensure that your service is being run correctly and efficiently. There are different ways of doing this but the most popular way is using a grading system for your care home.

A grading system gives your service a rating so you can see how well you are running things in comparison to others within your sector or if you have been given a certain grade it can affect how much you are paid by the local authorities to look after your clients.

There are various grading systems in operation depending on what country your care home is situated within. The UK has four different grading systems to choose from and they are as follows:

Outstanding (O)

This grade is given to services that meet or exceed the required standard and provide outstanding quality of care. If your service has exceeded all expectations then this would be a good option for you.

Requires Improvement (RI)

This grade is given to services that do not meet the required standard but are not in urgent need of improvement. You could receive this if your service needs to make some improvements but you rely on what you have and dont want to spend money unnecessarily.

Good (G)

This grade is given to services that meet the required standard. You can receive this if you are doing well with what you have to offer at the moment.

Inadequate (I)

This grade is given to services that do not meet the required standard and require significant improvement. This rating could be received if you are struggling with the job at hand but it doesnt necessarily mean you are doing anything wrong, your service just needs some work.

If you receive any of these grades there are some serious implications to be aware of. Firstly, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will look at your grading and carry out an inspection on your care home to see if you are meeting all of the requirements that you need to in order to receive this grade. If they find any problems then these will go into their report for other services to read.

Secondly, the local authorities will use your grading when deciding how much money they want to give you per person you look after in your care home. This means that if your service is graded as Inadequate then you could receive less money for each of your clients and vice versa if you receive an Outstanding grading.