Ratings survey to be completed at care homes next week

CQC chief David Behan is backing an independent survey that will cover 850 homes and run by 13 operators. The survey will be carried out by the polling firm Ipsos Mori.

Next week, almost 50,000 people living in care homes will be asked to rate their experience. This is a sign of a new approach to the way health and social care is monitored. A group of leading care home chains will complete the independent survey that is being backed by the Care Quality Commission, which says agencies must share responsibility for demonstrating the safety and quality of care services.

The CQC says it will take firm action where there is evidence of services failing, and it is likely to order more inspections of hospitals and care homes that do not show verified evidence of their performance. David Behan, the CQC's new chief executive, said: "How we regulate a small, three-bed home for people with autism, how we regulate a dental practice and how we regulate a multisite, multimillion-pound teaching hospital needs to be different." (The Guardian, Sept 12)

Residents and their families will be asked to rate factors including staff, activities, privacy, security and food and to say whether they are happy at their home and whether they would recommend it. Results will be published early next year and the survey will be repeated next September, involving many more of the 400,000 people in care homes. The aim is to help those looking for a care home to make an informed decision based on residents' real experiences.

If you are a health care provider and would like help with your CQC registration, visit the Words Worth Reading website.