Make sure all your evidence and logs are up to date. If you are short of time, make sure at least the following are updated and create a quick schedule of when you plan to review the rest, even if this is after the inspection, to demonstrate it’s under control.
It is easy to become used to things that are not quite right.
This is not dissimilar to moving into a new house and thinking that the first thing you will change are the bright purple carpets. Two weeks later you think that you will concentrate on doing the walls and change the carpets later. Six months down the line, other things have taken priorities and you almost don’t notice the bright purple carpets anymore, till someone visits and points them out to you.
Always carry out a walk-through of the premises with a fresh pair of eyes, perhaps get independent persons to do this objectively
Poor practices to avoid
If you have a difficult staff member, especially with grievances, give them the day off
Why do this
If you don’t take these steps, then the CQC will hear from staff first, and if it goes into the report, you have no other grounds to mitigate or challenge factual accuracy of the findings
Disruptive staff and grievances are part of life, there is no need to hide it, but you can show you are trying to manage it responsibly. Some staff can be hard to manage and employment laws favour employees, the Inspector will understand this
A staff briefing will help calm nerves and instill confidence. Use it to boost morale and remind them of positive achievements.
Remind people about basics such as:-