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Quality Assurance (Adults)

The Council must ensure that people have access to safe, good quality services that meets their needs. The Quality Assurance Team monitor the quality of services provided by contracted providers on behalf of the Council.

Services provided for us by contracted providers

The Council contracts with a number of providers, for adults aged 18 and over, across various portfolios. For example:

care homes
supported living
extra care
domiciliary care
day opportunities

Potential care quality issues are reported into the Quality Assurance team by Professionals only (e.g. a Social Worker or Care Quality Commission Inspector). This is to ensure that any individual themes of concerns can be progressed by the involved professional to the correct channel and to ensure the adult who is at risk is safe (e.g. a crime/immediate threat should be reported to the Police, an allegation of harm, abuse or neglect reported to the Adult Safeguarding Team and an individual complaint about experiences received directed to the provider to investigate/respond).

The Council’s Quality Assurance Team monitor contracted providers who operates within the Worcestershire County boundaries.

The work of the Quality Assurance Team is focused on wider quality issues within care services. The Quality Assurance Team will not be able to resolve individual care matters.

The Quality Assurance Team works collaboratively with partners and stakeholders including, but not exclusive to:

The Care Quality Commission
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board
The Council’s Adult Safeguarding Team

When a concern is received by the Quality Assurance Team the referral is triaged. The Quality Assurance Team will not routinely contact the referrer. However, if required, the referrer may be contacted for further details or sign posting, if relevant.

The information reported will be risk assessed and incorporated into the Council’s Quality Assurance processes. Appropriate action will be taken where required.

Here are some ways you can report concerns:

If you think a crime has been committed or someone is in danger

if it is an emergency, dial 999
to report a crime or potential crime to the Police, you can phone the non-emergency number 101

If you have concerns about abuse and neglect for yourself or someone you know

You can find information about what is abuse and neglect, and how to report your concerns in our Safeguarding and concerns about an adult section.

Reporting a concern if you are a member of staff for a care provider

speak to your line manager or a senior member of staff about your concerns
read your employer's whistleblowing policy which will give you information on what to do next and who you can contact further

Reporting a concern if you are a member of the public

You can report concerns about your care provider by speaking to your allocated social worker/team, involved professional or funding authority to share your concerns. This will ensure your individual concerns are progressed and wider intelligence is referred (where required) to the appropriate team.

To provide feedback on services delivered by Worcestershire County Council. To find out how please visit our compliments, comments and complaints page.

If you need independent help, visit our someone to speak up for you page to find out about advocacy.

Reporting a concern if you are a professional

Professionals can report concerns about providers by emailing carequality@worcestershire.gov.uk.

Please note, the work of the Quality Assurance Team is focused on wider quality issues within care services. The Quality Assurance team will not be able to resolve individual care matters.

If you have a concern for a person under the age of 18

If you want to contact someone about the children's social care service you are receiving, or make a referral please contact the Family Front Door.

The independent regulator of health and adult social care in England

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.

CQC make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care.

CQC monitor, inspect and regulate services. Following an inspection, a report is published on the CQC website outlining what was found, including performance ratings, to help people choose care.

Members of the public and professionals can report concerns to CQC via an online form, email or by telephone.