As a Registered Manager who will be away from work for 6 weeks, what are my responsibilities and what do I need to put in place while I am away?

Answered by Barry Price

Firstly you should read the guidance on the CQC website, you will find this and the notification form required here https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/notifications/absence-registered-individual-28-days-or-more-notification-form

If the Registered Manager is absent for more than 28 days, you need to formally inform CQC. CQC will need to know what arrangements are in place to manage the service and the regulated activity in your absence to ensure continuity. You know your role better than anyone so I would suggest you sit down and prepare an action plan of what it is you do and when. That way you can action plan tasks, roles, and responsibilities during your absence.

As part of your action plan you can prioritise these tasks as some may be able to wait until your return:

Have you considered:

• An interim manager – recruitment agencies and consultants offer these services
• The responsible individual, deputy or senior staff member stepping in short term if they have the required experience and expertise
• Other managers as part of your provider’s organisation structure such as a peripatetic or area manager who may be able to step in and assist. If so, how often?

The benefits of an action plan are that you can break down your tasks and plans week by week but make sure that you do not hold too much back until you return as this can be overwhelming too.

Once your action plan is complete you can then, if needed, complete a risk plan for any risks that have been identified as part of your plans.

What happens in an emergency?

Do you also need to review your Business Continuity Plans as this may also have guidance in place for such an event?

You need to make sure that any emergency contact information and numbers are changed over to make sure you are not contacted during your absence as this is often overlooked.

The response is fairly short as the requirements from CQC are clear in terms of notifications and your business planning process should ideally cover the rest.