An introduction to the PIR by Sheila Scott, OBE – Chief Executive of the National Care Association and Care Strategy Expert for QCS
CQC are beginning to send the Provider Information Return (PIR) forms out to providers in preparation for October 2014 when the new methodology of inspection will begin.
People who have been involved in the pilots for the new methodology for inspections will have completed a PIR and the forms have been subject to change following the first pilot and are likely to be further refined following the completion of the second pilot.
The PIR and the new inspection will concentrate on the five principles which will form the basis of inspection from October 2014;
- Is it safe?
- Is it effective?
- Is it caring?
- Is it responsive?
- Is it well led?
We will be writing more comprehensive guidance over the next few weeks but we just want you to have our first advice now so that you have some idea of what will be expected of you if you are suddenly asked to complete a PIR. You can also see how QCS can help you meet your requirements for the new standards with a FREE Trial.
- CQC advice on completing the Residential PIR can be found here: How to complete the provider information return (PIR)- Residential
- We expect that you will be given four weeks in which to complete the form although we know that people who have received one in the last week have been given less than that.
- You will be contacted every year to submit a formal return. This will not necessarily indicate that an inspection is due.
- At this stage you should make sure that you save or print off a copy of the Return so that you can attempt to keep the information updated.
- We anticipate that once the technology has been completed you will be able to keep the return up-to-date on your own system so that you don’t suddenly have to compile all the data in one go each year.
- The section towards the end of the return at 5i to 5k is all about staffing. If you have completed the Skills for Care National Minimum Data Set for Social Care (NMDS-SC) and have given permission for Skills for Care to share that information with CQC then you will not have to complete this onerous part of the return. If you have already completed NMDS-SC please just double check that you have completed all fields.
Click here for the latest news from NMDS-SC: Reducing the burden of inspection and regulation on social care employers
You can begin to understand what will be required for the PIR by looking at the consultation that CQC undertook in June this year.
Care Home Providers Page 22 of this consultation refers to PIR
Home Care Providers Page 21 of this consultation refers to PIR
Key Lines of Enquiry
There are key indicators for each of the 5 principles to be found in the consultation documents; these are identified as KEY LINES OF ENQUIRY and can be found at the following links:
Consultation – Residential adult social care services
Consultation – Community adult social care services (home care)
With the information about the PIRs, plus the information about the Key Lines of Enquiry, you should be able to complete the PIR.
What do you do well?
Don’t be afraid to identify what you do well. This is not the time to be modest! However, it is best to have some evidence to support what you are saying.
Many of you will have the evidence that you have gathered about your taking into account the views of service users. If you have the manual or something similar be sure you are using it.
If you have a management system such as QCS or some other system refer to that because again this is your evidence. Find out how QCS can help you with a FREE Trial.
You may well have other quality systems in place, make reference to what you have got. How else will CQC know?
What improvements do you intend to make?
You may well have some long-term plans that have been in place for some time; for instance, in a care home, a programme of refurbishment. In home care you might be making changes to training. Always add realistic timescales.
3c(ii) The number of the questions may vary but it is the question about quality assurance schemes, accredited systems networks etc. that you are part of.
Our advice is that you should identify:
- Any Trade Association you are a member of
- Any quality management system you have in place such as QCS
- National Care Association’s ‘Putting Service Users First: Taking into account the views of service users’ system
- National Skills Academy for Social Care Values Based Recruitment System
- Registered Managers Network
- Quality assured systems such as the Gold Standard for End of Life Care
- Investors in People
- If you have signed up for the Dementia Pledge
- If you have signed up for the Social Care Commitment
There are many different systems that you may have committed to. As well as making the commitment, it is also important that you are carrying through on implementing the principles of the system, so be sure that you have the supporting evidence.
Find out how QCS can help you meet your CQC requirements with a FREE Trial