Creating a Culture of Continuous Quality Improvement in Supported Living
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Continuous quality improvement (CQI) is essential to high-performing supported living services. It is also central to CQC’s expectations under the new assessment framework. If you are strengthening your quality processes, related reading includes Quality Monitoring Systems and Regulation & Oversight.
Quality is not an annual event — it is a daily habit rooted in learning, reflection and co-production. Here’s how providers can build a culture where improvement becomes automatic.
1. Start with values — lived, not laminated
Culture shapes quality more than any policy. Providers should ensure staff understand:
- people’s rights and autonomy
- the importance of choice and control
- the role of positive risk-taking
- the mindset of “with”, not “for”
This values foundation influences every decision — from daily notes to safeguarding responses.
2. Use data as a learning tool, not a compliance task
Data only drives improvement when staff see meaning in it. Strong CQI cultures:
- review patterns at every handover
- use visual dashboards to spot changes quickly
- link data to outcomes and PBS plans
- identify where independence is increasing
- share trends openly with teams
Transparency builds trust and strengthens decision-making.
3. Empower staff to suggest and test improvements
Frontline teams see what works long before managers or commissioners do. Providers should create simple mechanisms for staff to:
- highlight what’s working well
- share ideas for improving people’s experience
- trial small practice changes (“test and learn”)
- raise concerns without fear
Improvement becomes much faster when staff feel psychologically safe to contribute.
4. Co-produce quality with people, families and advocates
CQI is strongest when people supported influence the process. Providers can involve them through:
- regular feedback conversations
- easy-read surveys
- co-chairing quality forums
- shaping goals and reviewing progress
This aligns directly with CQC’s focus on lived experience as a primary evidence source.
5. Make supervision a learning conversation
Supervision should reinforce reflective practice. Strong providers:
- review data and outcomes, not just tasks
- discuss PBS strategies and risks proactively
- use real scenarios to build skill
- celebrate improvements and progress
This shifts supervision from performance policing to professional growth.
6. Conduct regular, collaborative audits
Audits are essential but work best when they are supportive rather than punitive. Collaborative approaches include:
- peer audits across services
- joint walkarounds with people supported
- simple thematic audits aligned to quality statements
- short “learning summaries” rather than long reports
Audits should help staff feel clearer, not overwhelmed.
7. Show your improvement journey
CQC inspectors don’t just want to know what you do today — they want to see your progress over time. Providers should keep accessible evidence demonstrating:
- changes made based on feedback
- practice improvements stemming from incidents or learning reviews
- enhancements in independence, wellbeing or participation
- adjustments to risk management and PBS
This shows inspectors that the service is active, alert and constantly evolving.
8. Celebrate progress
A positive CQI culture celebrates wins — no matter how small. Recognition:
- boosts morale
- creates consistency
- reinforces best practice
- encourages staff to keep improving
Appreciation is one of the most powerful drivers of high-quality care.
Final thought
Continuous quality improvement is not an optional extra — it is the backbone of great supported living. By embedding learning, co-production and reflection into everyday practice, providers create safer, happier, more empowering services — and strong, credible evidence for regulators.
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