Provider information return (PIR): information for adult social care services
PIR question guidance: ASC community
These are the questions we ask of the adult social care community services in the Provider Information Return (PIR).
We have provided additional information to help guide your answers. There are also links to our 5 key questions and their corresponding quality statements, which are related to each PIR question. Reading these will give you a better understanding of our expectations and assist with focusing your responses.
We're currently addressing an issue where information inputted in the PIR forms occasionally fails to save properly upon exiting the form. While we work on resolving this issue, we advise you to draft your responses in a separate document and then copy and paste them into the form.
Successes
1.1 Describe what is going well and the impact this is having on people using your service.
Text (500-word limit)
- Use our good and outstanding ratings as guide to help you identify relevant items
- Tell us what has worked well and about the impact this has had on people using your services. You can include feedback from people who use the service or how monitoring has shown positive effects or results.
- Look at how we monitor, inspect and regulate adult social care services for more ideas about what you could put in your answer.
- Do include examples of how you’re being innovative in your practice, but be sure not to include any names, or personal details.
Barriers to good care
1.2 Describe the barriers that you are facing that make it difficult to provide good quality care to people using your service
Text (500-word limit)
- Barriers to good care may be things outside your control, but you should still tell us about them.
- Explain what effect any barriers have had, or are having, on the people using your service.
- Explain the problems you know about, and what action you’re taking, or plan to do, to deal with them.
People who use your service: Number of people
2.1 How many people are currently receiving support with regulated activities as defined by the Health and Social Care Act from your service?
Number:
- Tell us the number of people currently using your service as of the completion date of the PIR.
- Find out what is meant by regulated activities.
- Because of the operational and statistical value these answers often have, we share responses with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC)
2.2 How many people have you served notice on to leave your service in the past 12 months solely due to a change in their care needs?
Number:
We want to know the number of service users who have been asked to leave because their needs changed and you can no longer support them; this doesn't include staff
2.3 How many people have you served notice on to leave your service in the past 12 months for any other reason?
Number:
Tell us only about people who use or have used the service, not staff.
2.3a What were those other reasons?
Text (500-word limit)
Apart from a change in care needs, what were your reasons for asking people who used your service to leave in the past 12 months?
People who use your service: Care needs and preferences
2.4 How many people with the following dependencies do you currently support?
Number:
Select those that apply to the people using your service. One person can be counted under more than one dependency in the list here.
- Dementia
- People detained under the Mental Health Act
- Mental health needs
- Drug or alcohol misuse
- Eating disorders
- Sensory impairments
- Learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder
- Physical disabilities
2.5 How many people who use your service are there in each of the following age categories:
Number:
Give the number of people in each age category. Your responses for all categories should add up to the total number of people who use your service.
- 0 to 17 years
- 18 to 24 years
- 25 to 64 years
- 65 to 74 years
- 75 to 84 years
- 85 to 94 years
- 95 years and over
2.6 Do people who use your service have any specific communication needs or preferences?
Options: Yes/ No
For example, people who use British Sign Language (BSL) or need information in large print, braille or another language.
2.6a How have you met these needs?
Text (500-word limit)
We want to know:
- how you identify and record communication needs
- if you seek accessible ways to communicate with people
- how you meet these needs of the individual.
For example, you may be communicating using symbols and pictures that you have developed for service users with learning disabilities.
2.7 How many people who use your service are non-verbal?
Number:
Tell us the number of people using your service that are unable to use speech to communicate.
2.8 How many of the people who use your service are assessed to be at risk of malnutrition or dehydration?
Number:
Tell us how many people are at risk of malnutrition or dehydration. You’ll know this through the assessment processes you use to identify when a person is at risk.
People who use your service: Restrictions and restraints
2.9 How many people have restraints or restrictions in their care plans?
Number:
This is where we ask about people using your service who may have their freedoms, rights or choices restricted. Here are links to the relevant legislation:
- the Mental Capacity Act 2005 explains where a restraint can be used legally. The restraint must be necessary to prevent harm to a person that lacks capacity or to prevent that person causing harm to others. It must also be proportionate in its use to prevent that harm
- under the Human Rights Act 1998 restraint which amounts to inhuman or degrading treatment is unlawful in all circumstances, for example, using excessive force.
Further information about reducing restraint, and human rights (PDF).
Any act that restricts an individual’s movement, liberty and/or freedom to act independently, that intends to take immediate control of a dangerous situation where there is a real possibility of harm to the person is restriction. Restriction should end, or significantly reduce the danger to the person or others. Restrictions should not limit the person's freedom for any longer than is necessary.
Restraint is the use of force, or the threat of force, to restrict freedom of movement, whether a person is resisting or not. There are 3 main types:
Physical restraint: This is any direct physical contact intended to prevent, restrict, or subdue movement of the body, or part of the body of another person. This would include restraint by police officers if it were to occur in a care home.
Prone restraint: This is physical restraint that involves holding a person chest down.
Chemical restraint: This is when medicines that calm or lightly sedate are used to reduce the risk of harm and control extreme agitation and aggression.
Mechanical restraint: This is the use of a device, such as a safe suit, arm splints or a strap, to prevent, restrict or subdue a person’s bodily movement. Wheelchair lap-belts and bedrails are forms of mechanical restraint. For legislation and guidance relating to restraint and restrictions, go to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 13(4)(b).
2.10 How many incidents of restraint have you recorded in the past 12 months?
Number:
In your response to this question you should count incidents of restraint, but not restriction.
You should include restraint which is triggered by the actions of the person at the time. For example, if they are used when the person is distressed or might cause harm to themselves or others. Do not include routine and regular use of mechanical restraint used to prevent people from having accidents, such as falling out of bed or a moving wheelchair.
People who use your service: Equality, Diversity and Human Rights
2.11 How do you make sure you meet the Accessible Information Standard?
Text (500-word limit)
Accessible Information Standard (AIS) covers the needs of people who are blind, d/Deaf, deafblind or who have a learning disability. It also includes anyone with information or communication needs relating to a disability or sensory loss that affects their ability to communicate. For example people who have aphasia, autism or a mental health condition.
Provide examples of how you have met the Accessible Information Standard by identifying, recording, sharing, and meeting the information and communication needs of people who use services, carers/staff and relatives whose needs relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss.
Include any procedures you have implemented that help you meet it, and that have helped your staff understand it.
2.12 Please state whether you have carried out any specific work in the past 12 months to ensure or improve care quality for people in relation to the following protected equality characteristics:
Checkbox
- Age
- Disability
- Gender
- Gender reassignment
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
- None of the above
Tick the relevant box(es) if you have carried out any work in relation to recruitment, staff training, environmental adaptations, care plan amendments or operational changes that promote equality, diversity and human rights. You can select any or all that apply, or choose ‘None of the above’.
2.13 What specific work have you undertaken in the past 12 months to ensure your service meets the needs of people
Text (500-word limit)
Protected equality characteristics are Age, Disability, Gender, Gender Reassignment, Race, Religion or Belief and Sexual Orientation.
If you can, give examples for each of the different protected equality characteristics and say what impact this has had on their personalised care. This is about people who use your services only, it’s not about staff.
2.14 What specific work have you undertaken in the past 12 months to ensure equality and inclusion for your workforce and what impact has this had?
Text (500-word limit)
This is about your staff only.
2.15 How do you ensure your staffing is sufficient in numbers and quality to meet all the needs of those you care for?
Text (500-word limit)
Take into consideration all the protected equality characteristics and preferences of those that you care for. These may be in the care plan but go beyond dependency assessments. Also say what methods you use for estimating staffing levels.
2.16 What practical examples can you give as to how you and your workforce implement and apply human rights principles (fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy) to your service and the impact this has had?
Text (500-word limit)
Show how you may have used the
People who use your service: Funding
2.17 How many of the people who use your service (i) are funded in full or in part by their local authority, or (ii) receive NHS Continuing Health Care?
Number:
Include in your number those who pay user charges towards local authority funded care, and those who pay using a local authority personal budget or have someone paying a 3rd-party top-up on their behalf.
2.18 How many other people use your service?
Number:
This should include self-or charity-funded users and include those receiving NHS Funded Nursing Care, and also those paying the full cost through their local authority.
Your responses to 2.17 and 2.18 should add up to the total number of people using your service.
Staff: Staff numbers
3.1 How many people are directly employed and deliver regulated activities at your service as part of their daily duties?
Number
This should include the following types of workers:
- permanent employees
- temporary employees
- pool
- agency
- students
- voluntary
- ‘other’ who provide regulated activities.
Include staff on zero-hour contracts.
Don’t include people who do things we don’t regulate, like cooking or cleaning.
Don’t include vacancies.
With your consent, we’ll share your response to this question with Skills for Care who will use such information to improve adult social care workforce estimates.
3.2 How many staff have left your service in the past 12 months?
Number
With your consent, we’ll share your response to this question with Skills for Care who will use such information to improve adult social care workforce estimates.
3.3 How many staff vacancies do you have?
Number:
This is about the vacancies you hold that are for those who provide care as part of a regulated activity and needed to meet the demands of your current client roster.
With your consent we will share your response to this question with Skills for Care. They will use the information to check and improve the adult social care workforce estimates
3.4 How many full-time equivalent posts do you employ?
Number:
You’ll get the equivalent when you add all the working hours together and divide them by 35.
3.5 How many hours of care have agency staff provided in the past 28 days?
Number:
Weekly hours vary, so using 28 days gives us an idea of the average provision.
Staff: Training and qualifications
3.6 How many of your current staff have completed the Care Certificate?
Number:
This question focuses on staff and volunteers having effective and regular mentorship, support, induction, supervision, appraisal and training. You can view the Care Certificate’s 15 standards at Skills for Health.
3.7 How many of your current staff have achieved a relevant Level 2 (or above) qualification?
Number:
Those with caring responsibilities often have a qualification such as an NVQ or a Diploma in Health and Social Care. You can submit that information here.
3.8 How many of your care staff have a named person that provides them with regular one to one supervision?
Number:
‘Supervision’ means when a member of your staff takes responsibility for providing guidance and support to a junior employee.
Commissioners
Tell us which organisations receive, or ‘commission’, care from you.
These could be your local authority, or it could be safeguarding teams, clinical commissioning groups - or others. These fields are mandatory. Be sure to give the correct number as it relates to your service.
4.1 Select the number of commissioners
Tell us how many organisations you work with in partnership. This can include your local authority, safeguarding teams and clinical commissioning groups.
Commissioning organisation
Text
You should include the details of organisations that commission care and support for people at your service. We may contact them to seek their views on your service. Organisations could include local authorities, NHS, and charities, and so on.
Number of people
Number:
We would also like you to tell us how many people each commissioner has asked you to support. This will help us understand the relative size of the organisations that commission services from you
4.1a Please give the name and number of people for all other organisations that are currently commissioning care from you, if any, in the box below
Text (500-word limit)
You will only need to enter information here if there are more than 10 organisations that place people with your service.
Partnerships
4.2 How do you work in partnership with other specialist services (for example, speech and language, dementia, tissue viability, nutrition and reablement services)?
Text (500-word limit)
If you can, give specific (anonymised) examples of the benefits you have had from partnership working.
Quality assurance and risk management: Infection prevention and control
5.1 How do you minimise the risk of infection at your service?
Text (500-word limit)
This is about all types of infection, so include things that you have learned from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Quality assurance and risk management: Duty of candour
5.2 How many notifiable safety incidents have you had in the past 12 months that have triggered the harm thresholds of the duty of candour regulation?
Number:
This is to do with managers understanding the recommendations made by CQC, keeping up-to-date with changes and communicating these effectively to staff. For more information you can go to Regulation 20 and the duty of candour.
Quality assurance and risk management: Medicines and controlled drugs
5.3 Do you administer medicines?
Options: Yes / No
Answer 'yes' if you administer drugs to people receiving regulated activities.
If you don’t administer medicines, medicine-related questions will not appear.
5.3a Have you administered controlled drugs in the past 12 months?
Options: Yes / No
A ‘controlled drug’ is any medicine defined by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
5.3b Have you administered medicines covertly in the past 12 months?
Options: Yes / No
Medicines are being administered covertly if they are given disguised in food or drink and this practice can only be authorised if the person lacks capacity to understand the consequences of not taking the medicine.
5.3c How many people have been given medicine as a form of restraint or to control behaviour in the past 12 months?
Number:
Chemical restraint is achieved using a medicine prescribed and administered for the purpose of controlling or subduing disturbed/violent behaviour, where it is not prescribed for the treatment of a formally identified physical or mental illness.
5.3d How many of the people who take prescribed medicine have not had a medication review with a GP or other suitable healthcare professional in the past 12 months?
Number:
A medication review is a structured, critical examination of a person’s medicines by a healthcare professional and it should occur at least once a year.
5.3e Have you used enteral tube feeding to administer medicines in the past 12 months?
Options: Yes / No
Enteral feeding tubes provide access to the stomach or jejunum (small intestine) where there is an obstruction or difficulty in swallowing.
5.3f How many medicine related errors have there been in the past 12 months?
Number:
Include the number of medicine errors that have occurred in the 12 months up to the date of this return. Count every single incident.
The following are examples from a non-exhaustive list:
- not recording when you have administered medicines, for example, not signing MAR charts
- not recording why doses have been missed
- using the wrong key code for non-administration
- signing for medicines you have not administered
- inaccurate or unclear records
- not enough information to administer medicines safely, for example instructions about taking medicines with or after food
- a dose has been missed
- too much or too little of the medicine was given
- the wrong medicine was given
- medicine was given to the wrong person
- medicine was administered in a manner that did not follow your medicines procedure or prescribing requirements.
5.3g How many of these involved controlled drugs?
Number:
State the number of medicine errors occurring in the 12 months up to the date of this return. Include those that relate to ordering, storing, recording, prescribing, administering and destructing controlled drugs.
A ‘controlled drug’ is any medicine listed under the schedules defined by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Count every single incident. This is also partly about finding out how well you deal with matters when things go wrong.
Quality assurance and risk management: Complaints
5.4 In the past 12 months, how many complaints were made about your service that were managed under your complaint’s procedure?
Number:
Count all complaints made in the 12 months up to the date of this return.
5.4a What are the main complaints you have received in the past 12 months and what have you changed as a result to improve your service?
Text (500-word limit)
Here you can give specific examples of action you have taken that has resulted in a difference being made for the people involved.
Quality assurance and risk management: Records
5.5 Do you currently use a digital social care record system (DSCR) at your location?
Options: Yes / No
Do you operate a digital social care record system (DSCR), something you might call an ‘electronic care plan’? A DSCR permits the digital recording of care (both plans and any other care received by an individual). This question helps us understand DSCR use in the social care sector.
Service types
6.1 How many people are currently receiving support with regulated activities from your:
Number:
Tell us the number of people in each service type. Enter 0 for services types that you do not provide.
- Domiciliary care agency service?
- Supported Living service?
- Extra Care Housing service?
Your responses should add up to the total number of people who use your service.
It is important that you enter figures for all service types that apply to your location. You will be asked extra questions for each type of service for which you report having one or more people.
Supported Living services - These services involve a person living in their own home and receiving care and/or support in order to promote their independence. The care they receive is regulated by the Care Quality Commission, but the accommodation is not. The support that people receive is continuous, but is tailored to their individual needs. It aims to enable the person to be as autonomous and independent as possible, and usually involves social support rather than medical care.
Domiciliary Care Agencies: Services you provide
7.1 How many care visits has your service made in the past 28 days?
Number:
Count all visits made in the 28 days up to the date of this return. For 24-hour care services, count the number of visits made in each 24-hour period. This is likely to require a minimum of 2 or 3 visits where there is an average 8-hour shift.
7.2 How many scheduled visits were missed in the past 28 days?
Number:
Count all visits missed in the 28 days up to the date of this return.
7.3 How many visits required more than one carer?
Number:
Use the last 28 days to answer this question.
7.4 How many scheduled visits were 15 minutes duration or less in the past 28 days?
Number:
Count scheduled visits in the 28 days up to the date of this return.
7.5 How many hours of personal care did you provide in the past 28 days?
Number:
If you are a live-in care service, add the full amount of 24 hrs x 28 days.
We will share your response to this question with DHSC. It will assist them in understanding more about capacity across authorities and region.
Domiciliary Care Agencies: Staff numbers
7.6 How many staff do you employ on a 'zero hours' basis?
Number:
Zero-hours contracts are also known as casual contracts. Zero-hours contracts are usually for ‘piece work’ or ‘on call’ work, for example for interpreters.
This means:
- they are on call to work when you need them
- you do not have to give them work
- they do not have to do work when asked
This question helps understand the commissioning and workforce patterns across regions.
Domiciliary Care Agencies: Staff payments
7.7 Do you make separate payments to your care workers for their travel time?
Options: Yes / No
It is not a legal requirement to make a separate payment for travel time, the more common practice is to include a compensatory payment for travel time within the hourly rate for contact time. The reason for asking is to provide a fuller picture of staffing terms and conditions.
7.8 Do you financially compensate workers for their travel time between home visits?
Options: Yes / No
It is not a legal requirement to make a separate payment for travel time, the more common practice is to include a compensatory payment for travel time within the hourly rate for contact time. The reason for asking is to provide a fuller picture of staffing terms and conditions.
7.9 Do you pay your carers above the National Minimum Wage (for under 25s)?
Options: Yes / No
This question determines the approach of the provider in relation to Live in Care, ‘on-call’, or overnight care.
7.10 Do you pay your carers above the National Living Wage (for over 25s)?
Options: Yes / No
This question determines the approach of the provider in relation to Live in Care, ‘on-call’, or overnight care.
7.11 Do the people that commission services from you make a payment for the travel time of staff?
Options: Yes / No
Supported Living: Schemes
8.1 How many schemes do your location staff visit to provide personal care?
Number:
Extra care housing services cover many different arrangements. Usually, they consist of purpose-built accommodation in which varying amounts of care and support can be offered, and where some services and facilities are shared. The care that people receive is regulated by the Care Quality Commission, but the accommodation is not.
Supported Living: Services you provide
8.2 How many people receiving the regulated activity of 'Personal Care' at your Supported Living service do you provide sleep-in support for?
Number:
This question provides further understanding of the size and scope of your service.
8.3 How many people receiving the regulated activity of 'Personal Care' at your Supported Living service do you provide 24-hour duty / on-call responsive cover for?
Number:
This question provides further understanding of the size and scope of your service.
Supported Living: Restrictions and restraints
8.4 Do your staff limit the freedom of movement of any person living at your Supported Living service?
Options: Yes / No
This question, in conjunction with notifications, helps to determine your understanding and implementation of procedures around the Mental Capacity Act (MCA).
8.4a How many people have their freedom of movement limited?
Number:
This question, in conjunction with notifications, helps to determine your understanding and implementation of procedures around the Mental Capacity Act (MCA).
8.5 Are any people deprived of their liberty due to being under continuous or complete supervision and control, and not free to leave?
Option: Yes / No
8.5a How many people are deprived of their liberty?
Number:
Count the number of people on the date of completion of this return.
8.6 Are there any restrictions or special arrangements on friends or relatives visiting people?
Options: Yes / No
8.6a What are these?
Text (500-word limit)
Give clear reasoning for any arrangements over the past 12 months.
Supported Living: Quality assurance and risk management
8.7 Do you manage the personal finances of anyone living at your Supported Living service?
Options: Yes / No
Extra Care Housing: Schemes
9.1 How many schemes do your location staff visit to provide personal care?
Number:
Extra care housing services cover many different arrangements. Usually, they consist of purpose-built accommodation in which varying amounts of care and support can be offered, and where some services and facilities are shared. The care that people receive is regulated by the Care Quality Commission, but the accommodation is not.
Extra Care Housing: Services you provide
9.2 How many people receiving the regulated activity of 'Personal Care' at your Extra Care Housing service do you provide sleep-in support for?
Number:
This question provides further understanding of the size and scope of your service.
9.3 How many people receiving the regulated activity of 'Personal Care' at your Extra Care Housing service do you provide 24-hour duty / on-call responsive cover for?
Number:
This question provides further understanding of the size and scope of your service.
Extra Care Housing: Restrictions and restraints
9.4 Do your staff limit the freedom of movement of any person living at your Extra Care Housing service?
Options: Yes / No
This question, in conjunction with notifications, helps to determine your understanding and implementation of procedures around the Mental Capacity Act (MCA).
9.4a How many people have their freedom of movement limited?
Number:
This question, in conjunction with notifications, helps to determine your understanding and implementation of procedures around the Mental Capacity Act (MCA).
9.5 Are any people deprived of their liberty due to being under continuous or complete supervision and control, and not free to leave?
Option: Yes / No
9.5a How many people are deprived of their liberty?
Number:
Count the number of people on the date of completion of this return.
9.6 Are there any restrictions or special arrangements on friends or relatives visiting people?
Options: Yes / No
9.6a What are these?
Text (500-word limit)
Give clear reasoning for any arrangements over the past 12 months.
Extra Care Housing: Quality assurance and risk management
9.7 Do you manage the personal finances of anyone living at this service?
Options: Yes / No
Information not included elsewhere
10.1 Tell us here anything else you wish to share about your service that is not included in your other answers.
Text (500-word limit).