Does your care provider pass the ‘Mum Test’? This article will teach you what the ‘Mum Test’ is and how it is used by the industry’s regulator for inspections.
We all want the best for our loved ones, but we’re not all able to look after them ourselves. However, choosing a care provider shouldn’t mean that the quality of care they receive is any less than if you were to do it yourself.
We’ve all read the articles, and we’ve all watched the shows on Panorama. The care industry has taken quite a lot of hits and it would be easy to assume that all care providers offer the same low standard of care. It’s not all doom and gloom though, there are actually a lot of care providers that offer great services, you just need to know how to spot them.
In comes the ‘Mum Test’.
The ‘Mum Test’ is an idea that was originally conceived by Andrea Sutcliffe, the Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care for the Care Quality Commission (CQC), who are responsible for regulating care providers. When conducting inspections, CQC asks their inspectors to “consider whether these are services that they would be happy for someone they love and care for to use”.
Care providers are inspected under this mindset and so it should be with the same mindset that providers deliver their services, where the staff treat your loved ones with kindness, patience, and consideration.
The best way to gain insight into whether a care provider advocates this idea is by looking at their latest CQC inspection report.
Do:
- Visit CQC’s website www.cqc.org.uk and search for the report of any potential care provider
- Read their report thoroughly to gain as much insight into their working practices as possible
- Be wary of any providers who have not yet been inspected by CQC
- Be wary of any providers who have moved offices regularly, this can be a tactic to avoid CQC inspections
Don’t:
- Accept services from a care provider that doesn’t prominently display their CQC rating on their website
- Be afraid to ask any potential care provider about anything on their report that you need reassurance on
- Don’t feel like you need to stay with a care provider if you have already accepted their services, it’s never too late to change providers should you have concerns
We hope that you found this article useful and it has made you consider the importance of CQC’s ‘Mum Test’. If you want to learn more about CQC and their inspection reports then please follow the links below. Or, should you want more advice about finding the right care for your loved one, please call us on call us on 02392 704190 or email info@nightingalesgoldencare.com
