CQC Report: Highlights Lack of Improvement in Reducing Restraint
In 2020 the Care Quality Commission released a report that listed recommendations to combat unacceptable practice, culture and behaviour within health and social care services.
Reducing restraint
Restrictive interventions such as restraint, seclusion and segregation were all highlighted and recommendations were made to help reduce the need for those interventions and essentially improve the lives of people with mental ill health, autism and learning disabilities.
The CQC has now released a follow up report which strongly shows that not enough progress has been made.
In the original report it was highlighted that the workforce needed investment to ensure that people were supported by staff who had the right training and qualifications and who felt valued in the work they did.
CPI fully supports the findings in the CQC reports and our training can help your organisation meet the recommendations made.
The CQC has said that if the recommendations were fully implemented people would:
- Have enough staff to support them, with the right skills and competencies to provide high-quality, person-centred care to enable people to lead the lives they would like
- Be supported by staff in health and social care who understand their needs
- Never be restrained, unless absolutely necessary, and only by staff whose training in the use of restrictive interventions would be certified as complying with the Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards as required by the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018
- Have sensory assessments, communication plans and other reasonable adjustments made in line with the Equality Act when they are in inpatient units or using adult social care services
- Not have their human rights breached, because staff have the right knowledge to recognise when this may be happening, and leaders would take action to ensure that this is challenged and changed
- Be involved in the recruitment process, including staff interviews, to ensure the right staff are recruited to be able to meet their needs.
Lack of intervention training
The follow up report says those recommendations have not been achieved and in contrast a staffing crisis has developed, partly due to the impact of COVID-19.
In addition to this, the latest Skills for Care workforce data shows that only 10% of social care staff have a record of training on physical interventions.
The CQC adds in its report that the government needs to ensure that further urgent investment is made in the workforce to improve pay and ensure that staff have the right skills and knowledge to support people to lead the lives they want to lead.
For information on how CPI can help with upskilling your workforce and help reduce restraint in your setting see our health care programmes page.