Care Quality Commission outlines commitment to equality and human rights

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the body that regulates care provision throughout both residential and domiciliary settings in England, has published its own ‘equality objectives’ after a period of consultation with staff and key care sector organisations.

Although the regulator recorded over 70 comments during its drafting process, nine definitive objectives have been confirmed as essential in order for the regulator to set a high standards on issues of equality and human rights.

The CQC’s nine key objectives, published as required by most public sector organisations in accordance with the 2010 Equality Act, are:

-embedding equality in all areas of work

-responding appropriately when providers breach the equality aspects of the essential standards

-improving the information held about risks to equality in organisations with CQC regulates

-involving a diverse range of people who use services

-increasing the uptake of accessible information

-embedding equality within mental health act functions

-ensuring a diverse workforce

-ensuring CQC staff are treated with equality

-ensuring CQC staff have the training and tools they need around equality.

Welcoming the new objectives, deputy chief executive Jill Finney commented: “Our new equality objectives will help us to build a culture of equality in CQC – both for our staff and in our regulatory work.”

Ms Finney continued: “We aim for CQC to become a high performing organisation in relation to equality and human rights. We look forward to working with the rest of the CQC staff to deliver the objectives.”

Chair of CQC Board Jo Williams concurred: “Our equality objectives help to provide a focus for our work – covering both how we regulate to ensure equality and how we ensure that our own staff have equality of opportunity.”