New agreement between CQC and Equality and Human Rights Commission

CQC and Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have today published a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreement.

The agreement sets out how CQC will work with the EHRC to safeguard the wellbeing and rights of people receiving health and social care in England.

The agreement sets out how CQC will work with colleagues at EHRC on:

• areas of mutual regulatory interest
• sharing knowledge and expertise
• joint inquiries or research projectsCooperation on stakeholder activities (potentially joint events)
• cooperation on advice, guidance and policyJoint external communications (such as joint government responses, statements or trade press articles)
• cross referral of concerns
• signposting of complaints
• signposting of advice and guidance of each other’s regulatory responsibility on each other’s websites
• commissioning of research and reviews of research
• feedback and contributions to annual reporting.

The key areas of focus for CQC and EHRC’s joint working will include:

• looking at equality and human rights policy issues arising from COVID-19
• working together to protect the human rights of those people in health and social care settings who have for a long time been most at risk of rights breaches, including work on closed cultures and on reform of the Mental Health Act
• partnering to look at leadership which can reduce inequalities in access to care – and outcomes from care – in local areas
• collaborating for better leadership on equality for staff working in NHS and social care
• where providers are failing to meet equality requirements, we have a commitment to look at where CQC and EHRC can take coordinated regulatory action to improve equality for either people using services or for staff working in health and social care.

Ian Trenholm, Chief Executive of CQC, said:

“This agreement will ensure CQC and EHRC continue to work well together as we have been doing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The MoU sets out how we will share knowledge and expertise in a number of important areas including protecting people most at risk of having their human rights breached and addressing issues of equality in health and social care.”

For more information on these areas of focus, read Professor Ted Baker’s blog on equality and human rights in health and social care.

This MoU does not override the statutory responsibilities and functions of CQC and EHRC and is not enforceable in law. However, CQC and the EHRC are committed to working in ways that are consistent with the principles of this MoU.