Home Care Compliance & CQC Management
Running a home care franchise means ensuring that all compliance set by the CQC is met at all times. To do so, franchisees need to ensure their care specialists uphold high standards throughout every appointment with a client, and every service they provide.
If you’ve never run a home care service before, all of this might sound quite daunting. But with the help of our experts, compliance and CQC management are made much simpler.
What is CQC and care compliance?
The CQC stands for Care Quality Commission. It is an independent regulator in England that evaluates businesses and organisations that provide health and social care services. Put simply, its role is to maintain high standards of care throughout the country to ensure service users (who Bridgewater refers to as ‘clients’) are cared for, safe, and protected.
In relation to the CQC, care compliance means adhering to the regulations set by the CQC. All healthcare providers must ensure they do this, including:
- Hospitals
- Dentists
- Ambulances
- Care homes
To uphold this compliance, the CQC will take several actions, including conducting inspections and rating the services provided. Once they’ve done this, they publish their findings so they’re easily accessible to the public and those looking to validate the quality of a care provider.
Why is it important to remain CQC compliant?
Care providers need to remain CQC compliant. It helps them uphold acceptable standards of care. But it’s also important for several other reasons:
Protects clients and staff
The most important reason why you should maintain CQC compliance is because it protects both clients and staff. These guidelines set by the CQC are in place for a reason, so adhering to the regulations ensures you’re doing the utmost to keep people in your care safe.
What’s more, it encourages care providers to also respect their clients’ bodily autonomy and ensure their dignity is at the forefront of the service. Ultimately, complying with these guidelines isn’t just your legal requirement, but also sets a framework for you to use to ensure your care service is the best it can possibly be.
Higher quality service means increased demand
From a commercial aspect, providing a high-quality service will mean you have better ratings and testimonials from service users (which Bridgewater refers to as ‘clients’). This can help validate your experience and encourage prospective users to utilise your services.
Moreover, if you have a good rating from the CQC, this can also help those seeking a care service choose you as their provider, as they can see you comply with regulations and maintain a high-quality standard. Ultimately, it means more demand for your business and its services.
Avoid business closure
Another reason why it’s important to maintain CQC compliance is because it helps you avoid business closure.
For example, if you receive a poor rating from the CQC, you might be placed into ‘special measures’ category, which means you will be closely monitored over a certain time period. If you don’t make the improvements the regulatory body requires, they could cancel your registration and shut down your business.
How does Bridgewater Home Care help its franchisees maintain CQC compliance?
To help maintain CQC compliance, Bridgewater Home Care provides extensive support to its franchisees. We do this through:
Dedicated compliance experts
Bridgewater Home Care’s team is full of experts with decades of experience in the care industry. This includes our very own brand compliance lead, Sally, who has worked within the sector for over 20 years and is committed to ensuring every aspect of Bridgewater’s service delivery complies with the highest standards of CQC regulations.
Franchisees will have access to Sally’s expertise when they join Bridgewater Home Care, helping them to uphold what it means to provide high-quality care.
“As the brand compliance manager at Bridgewater Home Care, I bring over 20 years of extensive experience in the care industry, having worked in a variety of roles since the start of my career. As a dedicated member of the Bridgewater Home Care team since 2013, I utilise my extensive knowledge of the CQC to offer franchisees the essential knowledge and tools they need to maintain compliance. I work closely with them to address their compliance needs, guiding them through the understanding and implementation of necessary policies and procedures”
– Sally, Brand Compliance Manager at Bridgewater Home Care
Support with CQC registration
When it comes to CQC registration – it can feel overwhelming, especially when you’ve not had any experience completing an application previously.
That’s why, when you join a Bridgewater Home Care franchise, we provide:
- Hand-holding throughout the CQC process, from initial application to interview
- Assistance in completing the CQC application process successfully.
- CQC interview preparedness sessions
- Mock inspections, as well as regular workshops on best practices; and
- Much more!
Access to high-quality care compliance software
Success in a home care business is only made possible with access to high-quality IT and technology systems.
No home care business can achieve success without having access to such software and equipment. These can help you organise the schedule of your care specialists, establish policies and procedures for care specialists to follow, and utilise CRM systems so you can nurture your relationships with leads.
1-1 training from our founder Phil Eckersley
Franchisees will also receive 1-1 training from our founder Phil Eckersley, who has his own experience of being a franchisee himself.
For the first 12 months of their partnership, Phil will provide them with a mentoring programme; helping to address any challenges encountered and helping franchisees get a better deal and experience than others in a similar position.
“It’s a real privilege to support franchise partners, it fills me with pride to offer a franchise opportunity that really does look after its franchisees’ interests”
– Phil Eckersley, Owner and Founder of Bridgewater Home Care.
Does Bridgewater provide policies and procedures?
Yes, Bridgewater provides all policies and procedures required to run a compliant and successful domiciliary care business. What’s more, we offer the added reassurance that Bridgewater Home Care policies and procedures have been vetted by an ex-CQC Inspector.
I’ve never worked in care before…how do I ensure my franchise provides a high-quality service?
Some of our franchisees have never worked in the care industry before, but that doesn’t mean they’re incapable of providing a high-quality service. To do so, ensure you:
Recruit top talent
The quality of your care starts and ends with the standards of the specialists you recruit. Look for people who have a vast amount of experience, getting recommendations where possible.
Invest in training
Even the best care specialist has gaps in their skillset. That’s why it’s important to invest in regular training to ensure the care they provide is flawless.
Conduct mock inspections
Ensure you conduct mock inspections every six months to monitor the standards of your services. Use the existing CQC inspection framework to identify areas of improvement and assess the level of compliance.
Join Bridgewater Home Care’s franchise today
Make a difference in your community by providing high-quality care to those who need it. Join Bridgewater Home Care today if you want to be a part of an established business model that offers a high return on investment with low risk.
We’re a growing franchise with a family feel, which means our growth is your growth.
When you become a Bridgewater Home Care franchisee, you’ll have access to:
- Bespoke software to make the day-to-day running of your business simpler
- A market-leading CRM system specifically built for Bridgewater Home Care franchisees
- Processes, policies, and procedures so you can run your business as effectively as possible
- Marketing resources to help advertise your business in your local territory
- Online systems so you can work from anywhere
- Ongoing, unlimited support, advice, and guidance in all aspects of your business
Discover more by getting in touch with us today. Enquire via our contact form, or call 01942 215 888.
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