Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will create a single database for incident reporting in care homes; and if he will make a statement.

In spring 2017 the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will publish a consultation looking at how they regulate adult social care and primary medical services.

As part of their role in regulating care services CQC inspect providers. On 1 October 2014 CQC began using a new approach to inspect and regulate adult social care services, placing people who use services at the centre of this work. CQC uses a range of information to decide when, where and what to inspect, the methods for listening better to people's experiences of care and using the best information across the system.

During an inspection inspectors will use their professional judgement, supported by objective measures and evidence, to assess services against five key questions: are they safe? Are they effective? Are they caring? Are they responsive to people's needs? Are they well-led? An inspection will include the systems care homes have in place to report, monitor and manage incidents. Inspectors will talk to people who use the services to identify any safeguarding concerns.

CQC rate the services and publish the final inspection report on their website, this includes any safeguarding concerns. The ratings help people to compare services and to highlight where care is outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.