CQC is calling on people across the South East with a learning disability and people with autism, their loved ones, friends and carers to give feedback on their care as part of the ‘Because we all care’ campaign.
CQC research reveals that people with a learning disability and people with autism are more reluctant to give negative feedback on their care in case it increases pressures on staff or services.
Care and human rights safeguarded
Throughout the pandemic CQC has acted on the intelligence it receives to ensure high quality care and people’s human rights are safeguarded, with over 3,500 risk-based inspections completed since April 2020.
CQC has made improving care for people with a learning disability and people with autism a priority, which is why Debbie Ivanova, the deputy chief inspector of adult social care is leading a new programme of work to transform the way services are regulated for people with a learning disability and people with autism. This work will focus on improving the way CQC register, monitor, inspect services and use regulatory powers.
Ivanova: Listening has to be at centre of what we do
Debbie Ivanova, CQCs deputy chief inspector of adult social care, said
“Listening to the lived experience of people with a learning disability and/or people with autism has to be at the centre of how we decide to regulate and improve care. It is so important to hear their voices and allow our approach to be shaped by this in order to properly address the challenges of closed cultures and inadequate care.
“Families and people with lived experience keep telling us that it’s so much harder to speak up in services that care for people with a learning disability or people with autism, and we’ve recognised this. The work I am leading will be about improving the way we can hear from people and making sure that their experiences drive the action we take.”
Lower standard of safety
CQC’s research showed that people with a learning disability and people with autism are more likely to accept health and social care providers offering a lower standard of care as a result of Coronavirus and that more than a quarter (27%) of survey respondents with learning disabilities and people with autism had noticed a lower standard of safety when accessing health and social care during the Covid-19 pandemic – more than double the average.
Year-long campaign
This is a year-long campaign led by the CQC and Healthwatch England in response to the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19). It aims to encourage more people to share their individual experiences, to help the NHS and social care services identify and address quality issues and provide the best care possible.
People can give feedback on their experiences of care, or those of someone they care for, on the CQC website or through their local Healthwatch. Local Healthwatch organisations can also help you with advice and information to access the support you need.
How people can share their views:
- With Healthwatch
- With CQC
People can also contact their local Healthwatch directly to share any experience or get advice and information.
News shared by Angela on behalf of CQC. Ed
Image: Nathan Anderson under CC BY 2.0
