Before the single assessment framework, CQC used three assessment frameworks for different care services: one for healthcare and, one for adult social care. Acknowledging the interrelatedness of social and healthcare support, England has overhauled its quality assessment frameworks, now streamlining both health and social services quality standards in developing a single assessment framework. At this moment, there is unnecessary duplication in CQC’s currently separated assessment frameworks. Eliminating duplication allows inspectors to focus on specific topic areas under each key question, as well as to ease inspections for providers and, crucially, to empower citizens to be champions in their own care. The new single assessment model will consist of one overall set of expectations, making it easier to establish one clear understanding of what defines ‘quality’ care and ‘good’ service.
The objectives are threefold: Creating an assessment framework that applies to social and health services and being able to assess quality of health and social care outcomes in an integrated manner; Improving quality of life of beneficiaries of health and social care; and Accelerating improvement: Enabling health and care services and local systems to access support to help improve the quality of care where it’s needed most