Every care home in the UK must adhere to a rigid set of standards given by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). These standards are fundamental to care homes – they aren’t about going above and beyond. Instead, they are the bare minimum that every home should reach. Naturally, if you run or work for a care home, you’ll want to understand these so you can uphold them at all times.

What Are Care Home Standards?

The list is set out by the CQC and includes the following:

• Person-centred Care
• Visiting and Accompanying
• Dignity and Respect
• Consent
• Safety
• Safeguarding from Abuse
• Food and Drink
• Premises and Equipment
• Complaints
• Good Governance
• Staffing
• Fit and Proper Staff
• Duty of Candour
• Display of Ratings

So, for example, person-centred care means that every individual living at the home must have their specific needs seen to; consent refers to giving consent about any care/treatments; premises and equipment mean that care homes must provide a safe, clean environment with the correct equipment for treatment. If you want to learn more about the standards and what they encompass, go here.

Ways to Uphold Care Home Standards

There are many ways to ensure a care home upholds the standards – here are some of the most effective.

Safety Monitoring

One of the best ways to ensure every part of the care home adheres to standards is by installing safety monitoring cameras in communal areas. Doing so increases accountability, encouraging staff members to follow the standards at every moment. More and more care homes in the UK are doing this, including Signature at Reigate Grange Care Home, which has invested in new technology to enhance the safety of residents and loved ones. This leads to a higher quality of care overall.

Invest in Training

It’s hard to overestimate how important training is, especially in care staff. To uphold care home standards, don’t just teach them at the beginning of someone’s onboarding process. Instead, make them a part of ongoing training, ensuring that all care staff are reminded of the fundamentals even after working there for years. It’s important to invest in high-quality training, too, ensuring training evolves and includes a broad range of scenarios.

Hire the Right Staff

In the end, a care home is only as good as the care team that works there, which is why it’s crucial to hire the right people from the get-go. While looking at their qualifications is undoubtedly necessary, care homes should look into evidence of care and compassion in their work. Empathy is a big part of being a good carer and upholding standards, after all.

Listen to Feedback

Care homes should always be open to complaints and feedback. Not only that, but they should also listen to it when appropriate. Feedback can give real insight into the way the care home is run, and, in some cases, listening to it may make way for a higher quality of care.