The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care services in England. Inspectors carry out visits to ensure that providers deliver safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality and responsive services that people are entitled to expect. CQC inspectors check both these processes and whether they are delivering for people who use or may use a service. With this in mind, the inspection will focus on key areas of enquiry that are likely to be relevant to how well the provider is performing.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have five Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) when inspecting regulated services. These KLOEs align with the key questions inspectors will ask to help them determine whether a provider is meeting fundamental standards of quality and safety:

• Is safe care and treatment being provided?: This includes whether people are safe from abuse and harm and whether the service has effective risk management processes in place
• Are care and treatment effective?: This includes whether people’s needs are being met and they are receiving appropriate care and treatment
• Are care and treatment responsive to people’s needs?: This includes whether people’s care and treatment needs are being met in a timely way
• Is the service caring?: This includes whether people have their rights upheld, they feel supported, are involved in their care and have access to information about their health or social care
• Does the provider show leadership and management of services?: This includes the quality and safety of the service, effectiveness of leadership and management, capacity and capability of staff

The inspection will focus on these key areas to help determine whether the provider is meeting fundamental standards of quality and safety. However, inspectors will also take into account any specific concerns that have been raised by people who use the service or their family members.

During an unannounced visit, inspectors will consider whether there are systems and processes in place that enable providers to monitor, measure and improve care for patients/clients/service users. Inspectors will also look at how the provider deals with complaints and whether they are learning from any mistakes.