CQC to ditch system for rating services

The Care Quality Commission is to scrap its system of star ratings for registered services.

The Commission said the current system would cease ahead of the new registration system and new standards that come into force on 1 October under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. This will bring NHS, independent healthcare and adult social care under the same system of regulation for the first time.

The watchdog added that it would work closely with the adult social care sector in formulating a new approach to comparing quality.

This will involve drawing on feedback on its recent consultation on assessments of quality, while a programme of work will be launched later this year to develop different options.

Key inspections due to take place before September will now be brought forward, with the CQC aiming by the end of June to have completed key inspections at all services that have not been inspected for three years.

The Commission will continue to conduct risk-based inspections where it receives information indicating concerns about safety. It will also carry out inspections where it needs further information to assess applications to register under the new registration system.

Cynthia Bower, the CQC’s chief executive, said: “From 1 October, we will have new standards and a new registration system, so it makes sense to develop a new way to compare quality across adult social care services.

“We want to work with the sector to develop a fair and transparent system. We are very open to different ideas and will be calling on people to tell us how they think it should work.”

The CQC said it would “work closely with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services to provide it with information that informs decisions about commissioning”.

The Commission also plans to revamp its website to better present information about services.