Nythan Smith, Ridouts Professional Services Plc, takes a look at how the CQC rates health and social care providers and what providers should do to challenge a rating.

Joanne Balmer looks at the benefits of pets in the care sector.

Neil Grant at Ridouts looks at CQC’s second consultation on the future regulation of adult social care services and considers how radical the proposals are. 

Martin Hodgson provides an analysis of the CQC inspection changes.

Joanne Balmer talks about the benefits of outings for older people in residential care, using case studies from her experience at Sunrise Senior Living and Gracewell Healthcare.

Martin Hodgson provides a summary of the proposed changes to inspection in the CQC consultation.

Joe Sullivan discusses the importance of oral care in the elderly.

Dr Dan Nightingale continues our series on unusual types of dementia and provides a case study of corticobasal degeneration.

Tim Dallinger offers practical advice on involving people in their care.  

Dr Dan Nightingale looks at the practical use of music and reminiscence therapy (MaRTiS©), incorporating storytelling, in a care home environment.

Martin Hodgson takes a timely look at how to manage body fluid spillages.

Tim Dallinger looks at how medication errors lead to unsafe service provision.

One of the reasons why providers fail CQC inspections is that they do not learn from mistakes and incidents. This article looks at how to improve after mistakes.

Martin Hodgson looks at the CQC annual report on the state of health.

Tim Dallinger looks at the aspect of Regulation 12 for the fundamental standards relating to working with other agencies.

Tim Dallinger advises on how to improve standards following a CQC rating of 'requires improvement' or 'inadequate'.

Tim Dallinger looks at the importance of preparing your staff for a CQC inspection.

Neil Grant, from Ridouts LLP, provides an update on CQC's rating review process.

Tim Dallinger looks at the reasons why some people may refuse to eat or drink, and discusses techniques to help manage the situation.

Martin Hodgson looks at fundamental standards Regulation 14: Nutritional needs, and offers some practical advice.

Martin Hodgson looks at the format of a CQC inspection site visit and what providers can expect.

Samantha Cox of Ridouts solicitors offers practical advice on what to do if you aren’t happy with your rating.

Tim Dallinger looks at CQC’s expectations of an effective service, and how to demonstrate to CQC that your service is effective.

Maria Nicholas looks at the Mental Health Act 1983 Code of Practice and how this affects social care.

Joanna Dirmikis discusses CQC’s recent publication on surveillance and explores some of the problems raised by it.

Martin Hodgson looks at the CQC’s key question ‘Is it safe?’

How can you assess whether a service user has the mental capacity to make their own decisions? Martin Hodgson sheds some light on this complex area.

This article takes a look at dignity in care.

Tim Dallinger looks at how to audit your service with reference to the CQC’s five key questions.

Dr Daniel Nightingale looks at examples of how true person-centred care for people living with dementia can work in practice, using case studies from his experience.

Martin Hodgson writes about how to support people involved with alcohol misuse in adult social care.

Suzanne Averill explains E. coli and looks at preventative measures, outbreak management and treatment for individuals.

How to prevent transmission of blood-borne viruses in the workplace.

Suzanne Averill explains how effective infection control can help prevent the spread of norovirus.

Clinical waste management is a complex and fast-changing area. Martin Hodgson explains how to make sure your procedures meet the regulations.

Service user participation has improved in recent years but those with cognitive and communication impairments are still often overlooked. Fiona Wood explains how to improve your practice in this essential…

Sharps can cause serious injury and infection if not managed correctly. Suzanne Averill explains how you can reduce the risk of accidents.

Find out how to reduce the risk of MRSA and C. difficile infection in your care setting.

Find out how to control an outbreak of infection at your care setting.