Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to scrutinise of governance of care homes during the covid-19 outbreak.

On 1 May the Care Quality Commission launched its Emergency Support Framework (ESF) as part of its regulatory approach during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the ESF, the CQC looks at governance through assessments of how providers ensure the health and safety of services users; what systems are in place for monitoring the overall quality and safety of care; whether staff can raise concerns; and how they work with system partners.

The CQC uses the information it gathers to monitor risk and identify where providers may need extra support to respond to emerging issues and ensure they are delivering safe care.