This episode, featuring Paul Ridout of Ridouts Professional Services, which provides legal services exclusively to companies providing care and social care services, features:

• Why the CQC inspection report is a critical part of the profile and marketing image of a care provider.
• Why, if you want to challenge a CQC report, you must act fast – within 10 working days from getting the draft report
• Why every statement in the CQC report that you disagree with must be challenged.
• Don’t concentrate on what you’re going to do in the future – state where the report is wrong, and why
• Attach evidence for factual statements you make
• Be as detailed as possible. Paul has written factual accuracy responses running up to 100 pages
• What tone you should have when challenging a CQC report –this is a legal type submission because it may well become part of evidence in a tribunal case or a high court case judicial review. So the tone should be concise and courteous.
• Never, ever be abusive
• What happens after you submit your factual statement to the CQC and the CQC review your statements
• On what circumstances can – and should you - seek a judicial review. Yes, CQC decisions have been overturned this way. But a CQC report must be “seriously misleading” for this to happen.
• Examples of when CQC inspectors have “clearly gone wrong”.
• And why CQC inspectors “sometimes don't always see the full picture” or “have had a bad day” or are inexperienced.
• When providers should NOT take further action against the CQC.