The Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Neighbourhood Watch have joined forces to help improve the quality of health and social care in local communities. The partnership is part of CQC’s commitment to working together with national and local organisations to gather feedback from people about their experiences of care.

The CQC is the independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England. CQC make sure health and social care services – including GP surgeries, hospitals, and care homes – provide you with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care. It’s CQC’s job to monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and they publish findings, including performance ratings, to help you choose care.

CQC know that as Neighbourhood Watch members, you are invested in building safe and friendly communities. CQC want to ensure everyone has access to safe, effective and high-quality care, but they can’t do it alone. As active members of your community, CQC are asking you for your help to ensure that care in your neighbourhood is meeting standards. It’s everyone’s responsibility to help ensure health and social care is safe.

 A joint survey from CQC and Neighbourhood Watch found that nearly two thirds (63%) of Neighbourhood Watch members have heard of CQC; however, just one in five (22%) have read a CQC inspection report and nearly two thirds (61%) were unaware of CQC’s rating system.

 

 

After each inspection, CQC produce an inspection report. In most cases reports include ratings, which show the overall judgement of the quality of care. There are four ratings: outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate. You can learn more about our rating system here: www.cqc.org.uk/content/ratings

The survey of 4,881 Neighbourhood Watch members also found that just half (52%) were aware they could report their concerns about a health or social care service to CQC. CQC encourages you to help ensure health and social care in your community remains safe and effective by sharing your experiences with them. Your information is valuable to CQC, and it helps them decide when, where and what to inspect. They use the information you provide when they are inspecting health and social care services to make sure that the services are meeting fundamental standards. If they are not, CQC take action against those responsible.

Anyone who wishes to provide feedback to CQC can do so in the following ways:

Completing the Share Your Experience form online
By email:
enquiries@cqc.org.uk
By letter:
CQC, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA
By phone:
03000 61 61 61

If you want to get involved and help inform the way CQC work to drive improvements in the quality of care, join CQC’s online public community:
www.cqc.org.uk/content/join-our-public-online-community