What CQC Require
Premises and equipment
Consent policy and procedure
This should set out how you will get consent to care and treatment.
It must reflect current legislation and guidance. For example, the Mental Capacity and Liberty Protection Safeguards.
Equality, diversity and human rights policy
Your policy must set out how you will meet the Accessible Information Standard.
It should describe how:
- you will make reasonable adjustments so that people with a disability can access and use services on an equal basis to others
- your technology (including telephone systems and online/digital services) will be easy to use
- staff will understand and respect the personal, cultural, social and religious needs of people:
- how these needs may relate to care needs
- how staff will take these needs into account in the way they deliver services
- how they should record this information
- how and when they should share the information with other services or providers.
Financial viability statement (unless you’re a corporate provider)
This confirms you have the finances to provide your service and keep it running, as set out in your statement of purpose.
The financial viability statement must include:
Your details:
- name of business
- main business address including contact details
- name, position and signature of applicant
Financial specialist (such as your accountant) details:
- name of organisation
- professional accreditation body and registration number
- main business address including contact details
- their name, position and signature
We recommend you use our financial viability statement template, attached to this page.
It must be signed by:
- a professionally qualified accountancy company (registered with a recognised supervisory or qualifying body), or
- a bank or financial services firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
It must not be signed by a friend or relative.
Your financial specialist may need to see your business plan to help them confirm your business is financially viable.
They must state whether, in their opinion, you are or are not financially viable and any concerns.
We may contact them if we need further information.
Governance policy
Governance is the system of rules, practices and processes you use to manage your business effectively.
This document shows us that you have effective governance to run a well-led service and provide a high standard of care. It should be specific to your service and include how you will:
- manage and govern your organisation
- continually assess and improve your governance practice
- seek and act on feedback from people using the service
- assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services you provide
- securely maintain accurate, complete and detailed records of
- each person using the service
- staff employment
- meet statutory requirements such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). See the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) guide to data protection.
Infection control policy
How you will assess the risk of infection and prevent, detect and control its spread. The document should include at least:
- your systems to manage and monitor the prevention and control of infection
- how you will assess the risk of infection –consider how susceptible the users of your service are and any risks their environment and other people may pose to them
- reference to the Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections, issued under The Health and Social Care Act 2008
- the protocols relating to staff vaccination status
- access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and what will be available
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) registration certificate
Your systems and processes must support the confidentiality of the people who use your service. They must comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. Every organisation that processes personal information must pay a fee to the ICO, unless exempt. Failure to do so will result in a fixed penalty.
Medicine’s management policy
The policy should set out how you will:
- keep enough supplies of medicines
- manage medicines safely
- administer medicines appropriately to make sure people are safe.
It should include the safe storage and administration of:
- medical gases
- controlled drugs
- emergency medicines and equipment.
Public and employer liability insurance quote or certificate
You must have insurance and suitable indemnity arrangements. These must cover potential liabilities arising from death, injury, or other causes, loss or damage to property, and other financial risks.
Complete the liability insurance supporting information form, attached to this page, to explain these arrangements.
Recruitment policy
This shows us that you have the appropriate procedures in place. It should be specific to your service and include:
- how you make sure recruitment is fair and complies with legislation
- stages of recruitment
- conditions of employment
- what references you need for a new employee
- how you check previous employment
- policy for recruiting volunteers and apprentices
- recruitment complaints policy
Safeguarding policy and procedures
This must include:
- specific procedures for the types of services and age groups you propose to care for
- guidance about how people can raise concerns about abuse.
This information must be accessible to:
- people who use your service
- their advocates, those lawfully acting on their behalf and those close to them
- your staff.
Premises and equipment
Additional Policy and Procedures
- Business plan
- Duty of candour policy
- Booking policy
- GDPR/data protection arrangements
- Complaints policy and procedure
- Health and safety risk assessment
- List of risk assessments
- Medical emergency policy
- Process for self audit and/or for submission to national audits, accredited software system
- Procurement policy
- Records management policy
- Staff training matrix
- Staffing structure
- Waste management policy
The Cost
The registration fee payable to the CQC is an annual fee. This can be worked out using the fee calculator on the website this is the link.