Safe and effective staffing is reliant on having enough capable and confident staff to respond to the needs of the people you support.
The CQC inspection focus looks at staffing levels, recruitment practice and how you induct and develop your staff to deliver safe care. It is essential that your service has the right skills mix to meet the care needs of the people you support.
Because poor recruitment practice is a huge risk to your ability to deliver Safe care, the CQC will want to ensure you have robust checks for new staff, including DBS, the following up of references, and checking any previous training.
New staff should be appointed if they have the right values to work in care. Your induction process should provide staff with the opportunity to receive the knowledge, training, and the support they need.
For those staff joining the profession for the first time, ensure that the minimum induction standards are met, including workplace assessment of competence.
More experienced staff should have their learning periodically refreshed. Staff training and assessment should always go beyond the minimum, ideally helping to create subject matter experts or champions. Qualifications and apprenticeships are great ways to build expertise in your service.
Regular supervisions should be provided to all staff regardless of their length of service.
Workforce planning will require your service to people’s changing needs, absences, and other staff rota related issues. Rota systems can help but ensure your managers and staff are trained to use them.
In homecare and community-based services, ensure visits are planned to allow time for all care needs to be met. Contingency plans to maintain service provision will always need to be in place.
In addition to interview and potential observations, inspectors may choose to look at your Dependency tools and a range of documents including:
- staff rotas
- staff support, supervision, and disciplinary records
- staff recruitment and employment records
- and staff training and induction records, including qualifications.
GO Online brings together recommendations, examples, and resources to help you to recruit and safely staff your service.
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