Ask the Care Specialists
Welcome to our 'Ask the Care Specialists', your one-stop portal for social care-related questions. Our team of specialists will try to answer as many of your Social Care questions as possible.
Have you got a social care question that you just can't find the answer to? Our team of sector specialists are here to provide you with easy-to-understand top tips on a wide range of topics, from dementia, mental health to employment law or every day operational queries to help you deliver outstanding care.
Our specialists will try to answer as many of your questions as possible, giving priority to frequently asked questions and questions regarding current events and trends. To learn more about the team visit: https://www.qcs.co.uk/team/
Please note that our specialists cannot offer answers to matters requiring legal advice. If your matter concerns a specific service provider, please contact the CQC. If your query relates to someone who is at risk of harm or in danger you must follow your local safeguarding procedures.
Latest Questions
What are the regulatory requirements for supported living providers?
What are the regulatory requirements for supported living providers?
Let’s start with what the CQC says. ‘By supported living we mean schemes that provide personal care to people as part of the support that they need to live in their...
How old do you have to be to administer medication in a care home?
How old do you have to be to administer medication in a care home?
Many thanks for your query. Young people aged 16 and 17-years-old can work supervised in a care home as part of an apprenticeship pathway and if deemed competent and providing they...
Do I need to register with the CQC if employing support workers to help carry out treatment plans?
Do I need to register with the CQC if employing support workers to help carry out treatment plans?
Thanks for your question. You haven’t given me a lot to go on as to what service you are running and what kind of ‘treatment’.
What I can tell you, if...
What should I do or say to a visiting professional who turns up to my care home and is either unvaccinated or refusing to guarantee vaccination?
What should I do or say to a visiting professional who turns up to my care home and is either unvaccinated or refusing to guarantee vaccination?
The short answer is that, unless it is an emergency, visiting professionals must either provide evidence of vaccination or a medical exemption to the Registered Manager before they are allowed...
What should I do if a service user’s mother said she gave him some sleeping tablets because he couldn’t sleep?
What should I do if a service user’s mother said she gave him some sleeping tablets because he couldn’t sleep?
We would need more details to provide a fuller answer. However, where you support a service user and have any concerns when visiting to provide a service, you should report...
How can I help a service user who is constipated but refuses to take laxatives and eat the recommended diet?
How can I help a service user who is constipated but refuses to take laxatives and eat the recommended diet?
Use a Person-Centred Approach: Check in with the person Sometimes the service user may be refusing to take medicine or eat because they feel unwell: nauseated, bloated, in pain, uncomfortable etc....
What is the guidance regarding the use of lap belts on wheelchairs in care homes?
What is the guidance regarding the use of lap belts on wheelchairs in care homes?
I hope this answers your question https://www.qcs.co.uk/ask-sheila/can-a-resident-be-restrained-in-a-wheelchair-for-safety/
How can I access the outcome of recent inspections of a home where our relative is a long-term resident in England?
How can I access the outcome of recent inspections of a home where our relative is a long-term resident in England?
You can find the outcomes of inspections on the CQC website, please take a look https://www.cqc.org.uk/what-we-do/services-we-regulate/find-care-home
Can the Nominated Individual take over when the Registered Manager of a care agency leaves?
Can the Nominated Individual take over when the Registered Manager of a care agency leaves?
Like most things, it all depends on additional detail. If a registered manager leaves then they need to cancel (deregister) their registration with CQC. A new prospective manager will need to...
What is the timescale for completing a care plan for a new resident?
What is the timescale for completing a care plan for a new resident?
Thank you for your question and you can find that we have answered this before here: https://www.qcs.co.uk/ask-sheila/how-soon-should-a-care-plan-be-in-place/Partners with the UK's smartest companies
