CQC welcomes new addition to its board

12 March 2010

CQC has today announced the completion of its board, with the appointment of non-executive board member John Harwood.

John is a former senior civil servant and local authority chief executive. He retired in 2008 from the Food Standards Agency where he was the chief executive. He served for almost twenty years as the chief executive of Lewisham Borough Council and of Oxfordshire County Council. In 2000, he moved to central government to be the founding chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council.  He spent 2004 as the interim chief executive of Cumbria County Council before later moving to the FSA.

John Harwood said; “I am very pleased to have been asked to join the CQC board.  The Commission has a vital role to play in improving and maintaining the quality of health and social care across the country and I look forward to working with colleagues on the board and in the executive team in facing the challenges ahead over the next few years.”

Dame Jo Williams, CQC’s acting chair, said: "I welcome the appointment of John to our six-strong board. He will bring a great deal of knowledge and experience of local government and regulation to this important role and help us to push ahead with the Commission's ambitious programme of work to improve health and social care services."

The five non-executive board members already in post are:

  • Jo Williams (currently the acting chair of the CQC);
  • Kay Sheldon;
  • Olu Olasode;
  • Professor Deirdre Kelly;
  • Martin Marshall;

-ends-

For further information please contact the CQC press office on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232 143

Note to editors:

  • This appointment has been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice
  • All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. In this case John Harwood has declared no political activity or ministerial appointments
  • John Harwood is appointed to serve from the 4 March 2010 to the 3 March 2014
  • His remuneration for the role of board director is £7,752 per annum, plus travel and subsistence expenses

About the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of all health and adult social care in England. We inspect all health and adult social care services in England, whether they're provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies or voluntary organisations. We also seek to protect the interests of people whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act. We make sure that essential common standards of quality are met everywhere care is provided, from hospitals to private care homes, and we work towards their improvement. We promote the rights and interests of people who use services and we have a wide range of enforcement powers to take action on their behalf if services are unacceptably poor.

Our work brings together (for the first time) independent regulation of health, mental health and adult social care. Before 1 April 2009, this work was carried out by the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Our aim is to make sure that better care is provided for everyone, whether it is in hospital, in care homes, in people's own homes, or anywhere else that care is provided.

Registration: The Health and Social Care Act 2008 introduced a new, single registration system that applies to both health and adult social care.  The new system will make sure that people can expect services to meet new essential standards of quality and safety that respect their dignity and protect their rights.  The new system is focused on outcomes, rather than systems and processes, and places the views and experiences of people who use services at its centre.

From April 2010, all health and adult social care providers will be required by law to be registered with CQC and must show that they are meeting the essential standards. Registration isn't just about initial application for registration.  We will continuously monitor compliance with the essential standards as part of a new, more dynamic, responsive and robust system of regulation.