Feedback matters in running your healthcare business and getting ready for a CQC inspection.

As part of a CQC inspection, an inspector may speak with people using the service, their family members, staff and other professionals involved in their care. These conversations, which may take place by telephone, help the inspector gather first-hand feedback on how well people’s needs are being met and how effectively the service provider is managed. This means the conversations you have and the feedback you gather before an inspection matter.  Our Independent Feedback Service helps CQC registered providers gather that all important feedback.

What the telephone call interviews explore

We carry out bespoke, structured, telephone interviews with the people who know your service best: your clients, their families, your support workers, your in-house team and the multi-disciplinary team around them e.g. physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other specialists.

You gain a clearer picture of what’s working well and where attention is needed, with feedback you can draw on as part of your inspection preparation.  Our interview conversations explore people’s experiences of communication, dignity, care, support,  safeguarding, consent, leadership, supervision, training and teamwork.

Our independent interviews give you:

  • A fuller picture – experiences and views collected from everyone including the stakeholder groups.
  • Feedback you can refer to – what clients, families, staff and support workers told us.
  • Early insight – themes around supervision, safeguarding knowledge, consent, culture and communication, surfaced for you to review before an inspection.
  • Your strengths, in other people’s words – good practice and positive experiences described by the people who experience them.

Why use an independent interviewer?

An independent external interviewer gives clients, families, staff and professionals a chance to share their experience with someone from outside the organisation.

We have 20 years experience of working with private healthcare providers, understanding how they work, the business mechanisms, the challenges they face and the process of getting ready for a CQC inspection.  Using us to carry out the independent feedback telephone calls makes sense.

Who it’s for?

This service is designed for CQC registered providers in England, we concentrate on supporting:

  • Case Management Companies
  • Domiciliary Care / Home Care Providers
  • Supported Living Providers
  • Residential Care Homes
  • Hearing clinics providing earwax removal services
  • Aesthetic companies providing minor surgical procedures, IV vitamin therapy, prescription-led treatments

Who we speak to

Depending on your service, feedback can be gathered from:

  • Clients
  • Families and Friends
  • Support Workers
  • Case Managers
  • Office Teams
  • MDT professionals

An interviewer from outside an organisation gives clients, families, staff and professionals an opportunity to discuss their experiences with someone independent of the company.

With clients and families, we ask about:

  • Whether they felt fully involved in the initial assessment and planning of their support.
  • Whether the support feels tailored to the individual’s needs, preferences and wishes.
  • Communication and responsiveness — do they feel listened to?
  • The professionalism, kindness and compassion of support workers.
  • Dignity and respect across the whole team.
  • Whether the care and support package genuinely works for them.
  • The one thing they would change if they could.

With support workers, we explore:

  • Their understanding of the CQC, your vision and their role within it.
  • Supervision — what was discussed, and whether actions were followed up.
  • Safeguarding and whistleblowing — training, knowledge of policies, and confidence in raising concerns.
  • Consent and capacity — how consent is sought, checked and recorded.
  • Handling complaints and grumbles from clients.
  • What gets in the way of doing their job well.

With case managers and team members, we cover:

  • Leadership — how visible and approachable it feels day to day.
  • Culture — what really happens when something goes wrong, and whether people feel able to speak up.
  • Whether staff feel heard, and whether raising a concern ever leads to change.
  • How joined-up the service feels between office, case managers and support workers.
  • Recruitment and the support worker experience.

With MDT members, we ask about:

  • The approachability and responsiveness of your team.
  • Clarity of communication and instructions.
  • Whether their voice is heard at MDT meetings — and whether anything changes as a result.

Why it matters for your CQC inspection

The CQC’s assessment framework is built on evidence from the people who use and work in services, and assessment reports show inspectors speaking with staff, clients, relatives and other stakeholders to gather feedback about how people’s needs are being met. Providers who can show they actively gather and act on this feedback are better able to evidence a responsive, well-led service.

Frequently asked questions

Can you guarantee a better CQC rating?

No. What this service does is help you understand people’s experiences, recognise your strengths and identify areas needing attention before a CQC inspection.

How can I trust you?

  • Data protection is our number one priority, putting your mind at rest is paramount.
  • Any information we collect from the questions we ask you is typed up and saved securely on our secure online storage system called Tresorit (which is end-to-end encrypted and built for security and compliance).
  • Your responses to the questions are only shared with the company that has requested us to carry out the feedback gathering. We do not keep your contact details once we have completed the feedback questions and we do not share your contact details with any third party.
  • We have been running our business for 20 years and have never had a data breach.

Pricing

The cost of this service is quoted depending on the size of your company.

Speak to Tracey on 01636 904951 or email tracey@virtual-administration.com to discuss how our Independent Feedback Service could support your CQC inspection preparation.