Quality framework for support services care at home including supported living
Resource Type Quality Frameworks

A quality framework for support services (care at home, including supported living models of support)

The primary purpose of this quality framework is to support services to evaluate their own performance.  It is then used by inspectors to provide independent assurance about the quality of care and support.  By setting out what we expect to see in a high-quality service, we can also help support improvement. 

We have also produced a set of self-evaluation tools to support services to assess how well they are doing against key areas from our quality framework and highlight  where they need to support improved outcomes for people.

Within the framework we have included a scrutiny toolbox, which provides examples of the scrutiny actions we may use in evaluating the quality of provision.  The resources below are key practice documents that we think will help care services in their own improvement journey.  These are listed under each relevant key question.

Key question 1. How well do we support people’s wellbeing?

Quality Indicator 1.1: People experience compassion, dignity and respect 
Key improvement resources 

Charter for Involvement – ARC Scotland 

Children’s human rights – Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland:  seven golden rules for participation and other rights information 

Good practice guides: Information from the Scottish Human Rights Commission 

Guidance document on human rights charter for technology and digital in social care 

Guidance for care providers in Scotland using CCTV (closed circuit television) in their services 

Health and Social Care Standards 

Mental Welfare Commissio

  • Rights, risks and limits to freedom 
  • Human rights in mental health services 
  • Covert medication 
  • Working with the AWI Act,  
  • Decisions about technology.  

Practice guide: Involving children and young people in improving services 

Scottish Recovery Consortium 

World Health Organisation – Quality rights:  promoting the rights of people with mental health conditions, psychosocial, intellectual, and cognitive disabilities 

Quality Indicator 1.2: People get the most out of life 
Key improvement resources 

Autism strategy for Scotland 

Care About Physical Activity 

General standards for neurological care and support 2019  

Indicators of good practice in drug and alcohol services  

Information on supporting people with complex needs and sight loss  

Let's get active, connected and included resource - SCLD 

National guidance for child protection in Scotland (Scottish Government) 

Promoting excellence in dementia care (includes people with a learning disability and dementia)  

Quality Principles - Standard expectations of care and support in drug and alcohol services  

Scottish recovery network – peer support resources 

See Hear – framework for meeting the needs of people with a sensory impairment  

Supporting personal relationships 

The keys to life 

Wellness recovery action plan 

Quality Indicator 1.3: People’s health and wellbeing benefits from their care and support  
Key improvement resources 

Accessible health information 

Alcohol related brain damage  

Care of people living with HIV 

Hospital Passports:  

Intermediate care including reablement 

Maximising Recovery, Promoting Independence: An Intermediate Care Framework for Scotland  

Medication management procedures for care at home services 

Mental Health Strategy for Scotland  

Mental Welfare Commission: Good practice guide - covert medication  

Notifications about controlled drugs: guidance for providers (2015) 

Palliative and end of life care resources  

Prompt – assist – administer medication in care settings 

Reset and rebuild:  sexual health and blood borne virus services - recovery plan 

Resources - Eat Well Age WellResources about the prevention, detection and treatment of malnutrition and dehydration amongst older adults living at home in Scotland. 

Rights, respect and recovery: alcohol and drug treatment strategy  

Safe administration of medication: Modules 1-3 (SSSC)  

SCLD Healthy Eating Healthy Living Pack  

Sexual health and blood borne virus framework 2015-2020 

Standards for prevention and management of pressure ulcers 

Supporting psychological wellbeing in adults with learning disabilities – an educational framework 

Tissue viability toolkit 

Trauma informed practice – National trauma training plan and resources 

You are our eyes and ears:  Pocket guide supporting consistent monitoring and identifying changes in wellbeing.

Quality Indicator 1.4: People are getting the right service for them 
Key improvement resources 

Mental Welfare Commission:  Supported decision making 

Principles of good transitions 3:  Scottish Transitions Forum, including the autism and life shortening conditions supplements. 

Scottish Social Services Council:  Understanding personal outcomes 

Self-directed support guidance 

Self-directed support implementation plan  

Supporting and empowering Scotland’s citizens - National action plan for technology enabled care.

Quality indicator 1.5: People's health and wellbeing is supported and safeguarded by infection, prevention and control practices 
Key improvement resources 

Communication for people with sensory loss during the Covid-19 pandemic: advice for health and social care staff. 

Covid-19: information and guidance for social, community and residential care settings 

Guidance on prevention and control of clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in health and social care settings in Scotland  

Healthcare Improvement Scotland: Infection prevention and control standards  

Key measures for infection prevention and control: A guide for social care workers providing care in an individual’s home. 

National infection prevention and control manual (NICPM) 

NICPM Covid-19 compendium 

NIPCM winter 21/22 respiratory infections addendum 

Preventing infection in care at home  

Records services (except cm) must keep and guidance on notification reporting 

Key question 2. How good is our leadership?

Quality Indicator 2.1: Vision and values inform practice 
Key improvement resources 

Guidance for providers and applicants on aims and objectives 

SSSC - Step into leadership 

SSSC - Supervision guidance 

TURAS Leadership and Management Programmes  

Quality Indicator 2.2: Quality assurance and improvement is led well 
Key improvement resources 

Adults with incapacity: template policy for adult services  

Care Experience Improvement Model (CEIM)  

Duty of Candour guidance 

EFQM excellence model:  

Learning from adverse events through reporting and review: A national framework for Scotland 2019 

National Occupational Standards (NOS) 

NES Quality improvement learning and tools 

SCLD – Using scrutiny to drive outcomes and associated resources 

SSSC - Leadership development activities 

Supporting improvement – It’s everyone’s business  

The model for improvement and associated resources 

The Public Services Reform (The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman) (Healthcare Whistleblowing) Order 2020:

Quality Indicator 2.3: Leaders collaborate to support people  
Key improvement resources 

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidance 

Information Commissioner’s guide to data protection, including GDPR  

Partnerships and Co – conversation openers 

SSSC - Step into leadership 

Quality Indicator 2.4: Staff are led well  
Key improvement resources 

Achieving effective supervision  

Everyday leadership from the frontline 

Guidance on development of policy and procedure 

SSSC - Leadership development activities 

SSSC - Step into leadership

Key question 3. How good is our staff team?

Key question 5. How well is our care planned?

We held a webinar on 1 June 2022 which explained the changes made within the updated Quality framework for support services (care at home including supported living models of support), and also introduced staff to the self-evaluation toolkit which had emerged from the learnings of our previous work on Covid-19 Self-evaluation toolkit for key question 7 and from discussions with services and inspectors. 

Quality improvement programmes and topics

Quality improvement activity led by the Care Inspectorate, including recent practice resources and initiatives

Care at home

Care at home makes sure that as many people as possible are supported in their own homes. The care at home service can touch on all aspects of your daily life in your own home

Adults and older people

An overview of major developments in policy areas relating to services for adults and older people