Key Questions Explained: Safe

Of the five main CQC standards, ‘Safe’ is one of the most crucial. This considers whether service users, staff and visitors are protected from abuse and avoidable harm at all times.

Here, we explain what safe means and how you can make sure your service is safe, as well as considering what CQC will look for as part of their ‘Safe’ question.

What does “Safe” Mean?

In the CQC key standards, they refer to safe as meaning anyone who uses your services is safe from abuse and avoidable harm. This can relate to all the ways in which patients are cared for, from record keeping to medication handling, hygiene and incident reporting. The safety question will be broken down into a further set of questions by the CQC which they then use to decide what needs to be focused on in an inspection. This ensures that they are consistent in what they look at and that they can focus on the areas that matter most.

How do you make sure your service is “Safe”?

To make sure your service is safe you should look at the CQC Quality Statements which will outline what a CQC inspector wants to see in a safe service. You should ensure that people are not given unsafe care or treatment and that they are not put at any risk of avoidable harm. In order to be safe, you must assess any risks using regular risk assessments and ensure that all of your staff have been appropriately screened. They must also have the correct training, qualifications, experience and behaviours to ensure the safety of the people that they are caring for.

Safe Quality Statements

Until 2024, the CQC used Key Lines Of Enquiry (KLOEs) to assess services. However, a new assessment framework has been introduced which replaces these KLOEs with Quality Statements. These outline the commitments that care providers must make to ensure safe care and are focused on the core principles of quality care. The quality statements are known as ‘We Statements’ in order to help reflect the providers commitment to key areas.

These quality statements will be used in conjunction with the five key questions that CQC ask. The quality statements for the ‘safe’ key question are:

• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risk
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

What does the CQC look for in the “Safe” key question?

The CQC will look at a range of things as part of the safe key question, including how staff keep records of patient treatment and whether staff are able to give patients medicines safely and store them correctly. They will also want to know that there are always enough staff on duty who have the right knowledge, skills and experience to ensure patient safety at all times. The CQC will also look at premises and equipment to check that they are kept clean and hygienic and will look at how concerns about safety are dealt with when raised by staff.

The CQC will also consider what happens if something goes wrong with the patient’s care or treatment. They will be looking to see how the provider deals with this, what they learn from it and how they can prevent it from being repeated.

These patient-focused key questions ensure that care providers are proactive in meeting the needs of their patients by keeping them safe and free from harm. They will ensure that providers can not only pass the CQC inspection but ensure that safety is at the heart of everything they do.

Need some help?

Here at Delphi Care we have to knowledge and expertise to help your service meet the standards for ‘Outstanding’ care. Our team is made up of former CQC inspectors and ex registered managers, with over 200 collective years’ experience of working in the health and social care sector.

Whether you require our consultancy services, mock inspections, or crisis management and turnaround, we’re here to help! Simply contact us today on 0330 133 3002 or email us at customer-care@delphi.care.