A day in the life of a care home inspection

Published: 14 May 2015 Page last updated: 12 May 2022
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Want to know more about what happens on a care home inspection?

Beth Britton, Freelance Campaigner, Consultant, Writer, Blogger – and former carer to her father who had vascular dementia – spent a day seeing the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) new approach to inspecting adult social care in action.

Beth said: “Until recently, my only experience of the inspection of care homes came from supporting my dad through life in three difference care homes over nine years. As relatives, we welcomed seeing inspectors in my dad’s care homes, in both good and bad times, although I felt frustrated at what often seemed like a lack of real action.

“Inspection will only ever be a snapshot of a service, but by having a larger team and implementing a more thorough methodology, this regulation was far more comprehensive and insightful than any used in my dad’s time in care homes.”

CQC’s Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, Andrea Sutcliffe, said: “Beth has been a key member of our adult social care external co-production meeting and brings tremendous insight from the experience of her own father’s care which has helped to shape and design our new approach.”

Read more here about Beth’s story of shadowing a CQC inspection that has been published on today’s Guardian Social Care Network.

This regulation was far more comprehensive and insightful than any used in my dad’s time in care homes.

Beth Britton, Freelance Campaigner, Consultant, Writer, Blogger