Category: Blog

A comprehensive guide to CQC inspections

Two care managers plan for a cqc inspection

What is a CQC inspection? If you provide health care or adult social care services that are regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, you must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). CQC inspections are an important part of regulating health and social care providers in England. Visiting services, or… Read more »

Deciding what you need from home care software

A group of care managers work on a laptop deciding software priorities

Once you have made a business case for the software you need for your business, it is important to figure out which features or functions are most essential for your business operation. When thinking about software, it’s easy to think that every requirement is essential. But it’s crucial to prioritise the functionality that will deliver… Read more »

Making a business case for new software

A care manager works a computer to work on a business case

Before you set out to explore software options for your home care business, it’s important to be clear about the reasons for wanting new software. This is called ‘making a business case’. Not only will this help you communicate your needs to stakeholders in your business, but it will also help you to create a… Read more »

Thought leadership: Is your home care agency remote inspection-ready?

A guide to remote CQC inspections for home care providers

By David Lynes, CEO & Founder of Unique IQ Following on from a successful pilot in autumn 2020, the Care Quality Commission now employs remote inspections as a standard format for domiciliary care and extra care providers. I first wrote about the CQC’s move toward digitisation back in July 2020. At that point in time,… Read more »

A comprehensive guide to the CQC’s remote inspections

Care managers work to get inspection ready

Get inspection ready for a remote CQC inspection Unlike many other parts of the health and social care sector, providers of home care and extra care housing services find themselves in the unique position that they may experience inspections from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) remotely. Following a successful pilot amid the COVID-19 pandemic’s second… Read more »

A comprehensive guide to care sector wellbeing

A caring woman reaches out to comfort a colleague

A comprehensive guide to care sector wellbeing According to research from Deloitte, the total annual cost of poor mental health to employers has increased by 25% since 2019, totalling between £53 and £56 billion in 2020-21. Nowhere is this more keenly felt than in the care sector. Stress and burnout among care workers have been… Read more »

Thought leadership: Technology’s potential for improving carer wellbeing

Supporting carer wellbeing - a happy carer and client together

By David Lynes, CEO & Founder of Unique IQ I’m a great believer in the power of technology to turn data points into information. And thanks to rapid digitisation within the care sector, it is now rich with data. But the story it tells sits just out of reach – in pockets of siloed information, that… Read more »

How improving carer wellbeing can boost job satisfaction

carer wellbeing at work

By Jayne Scarman, Head of Marketing and Wellbeing Champion Unique IQ Wellbeing is widely touted as one of the solutions to the recruitment and retention crisis in care. And the business case for focusing on wellbeing at work is sound. But to what extent has that translated into action within the care sector?To answer this question,… Read more »

Supporting workplace wellbeing in the care sector

Plants on windowsill

According to the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD), “promoting wellbeing can help prevent stress and create a more positive work environment…and be a core enabler of employee engagement and organisational performance. Supporting the health and wellbeing of care workers is particularly important, as their performance directly impacts the lives of those receiving care and… Read more »