Inspecting services

Inspections monitor the quality of care provided to people who use the services.  All care services regulated by us must be inspected.  Click on the links below to find out more information about the inspections for the following year.

Inspection information for 2009/10

Inspection Process
We award grades based on the quality of the care a service provides.  Grading informs people about the quality of individual care services. Watch our Grading DVD or read our leaflet for more information. 

When we inspect a service, typically we:

• talk to people who use the service, their carers and families, staff and managers
• talk to individuals and groups
• have a good look around and check what quality of care is being provided
• look at the activities happening on the day
• examine things like records and files, if we need to
• find out if people get choices, such as food, choosing a key worker and
  controlling their own spending money.

Our inspections are either announced or an unannounced.  The service's latest report will confirm if the inspection was announced or unnannounced.  Both types of inspections are used to ensure that services continue to meet the standards and the needs of people using the service. 


Announced Inspections
Service providers have the opportunity to set out their day-to-day practice and where appropriate to invite staff, the people who use the service, their families and/or carers to come along and contribute while the inspeciton is taking place.  Services are notified prior to the inspectors arrival.

Unannounced
No prior notice is given to the service provider.  Inspectors arrive and find the service as it would be for anyone else visiting the service that day.   These inspections are also used to assess whether improvements have taken place in services where risks to service users have previously been identified or enforcement action taken.


Lay Assessors
We also use lay assessors during some inspections. These are volunteers who have used care services or have helped to care for someone who has used care services. To find out more about Lay Assessors visit our "Get Involved" section.