Why Governance Isn’t Just for the Boardroom: Making It Work on the Ground
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When providers hear “governance,” many think of board meetings, policy reviews, and strategic decisions. But good governance in social care must extend far beyond the boardroom.
For governance to improve outcomes and meet regulatory expectations, it must influence how care is delivered on the ground — every shift, every interaction, every decision.
🧠 Everyone Has a Role in Governance
Governance isn’t limited to senior leaders. It should be part of:
- How team leaders review practice and give feedback
- How incidents are escalated and learned from
- How decisions are made about changes to routines or environments
- How service users influence change through co-production
In short, governance is how values and responsibilities are translated into real-world actions.
🔎 What CQC Looks For
Under the new inspection model, CQC expects providers to demonstrate:
- Open cultures where staff feel safe to raise concerns
- Clear accountability for quality, safety, and decision-making
- Evidence of learning from incidents, audits, and feedback
These are governance functions — and they need to be happening across all levels of the organisation, not just at the top.
📈 Making It Visible at Ground Level
Here are 3 ways to embed governance more deeply into daily service delivery:
- Use team meetings to reflect on audits and feedback — not just rota gaps
- Involve front-line staff in reviewing outcomes and planning improvements
- Assign governance leads at each level — not just one central lead
This helps build a culture where governance is shared, not siloed.