Well-led now includes a focus on how you are mitigating any negative impact your service has on environmental issues. As part of CQC’s new Single Assessment Framework there is now a quality statement on environmental sustainability and inspectors and assessors will be looking at how providers of health and social care services have made efforts to become more environmentally sustainable. This quality statement links to Regulation 17 Good Governance.
Quality Statement:
We understand any negative impact of our activities on the environment and we strive to make a positive contribution in reducing it and support people to do the same.
What does it mean in practice and what can you be considering?
CQC will want to see that across your organisation, everyone understands that climate change is a significant threat to the health of people who use services, their staff, and the wider population. CQC will now look at how you are mitigating against any negative impact your service has on environmental issues and will look at how you are making a positive contribution to reducing the impact on the environment.
There are lots of small practical steps that you can take, such as recycling, but in order to embrace this in the way the CQC will be focusing, you need to take active steps towards ensuring the principles of net zero care are embedded in planning and delivery of care.
ESG: Environment, Social, Governance.
You might want to start by breaking this down into 3 sections often used by many industries: ESG: Environment, Social and Governance.
Environmental
The environmental aspect focuses on how the business minimises its impact on the environment.
Examples of environmental business practices include:
- Switching to zero-waste products or sustainable packaging using biodegradable materials
- Encouraging recycling and reducing the amount of waste destined for landfill.
- Green hours calls, home based care, could you offer reduce rates for visits that are later in the morning, when there is less traffic, staff member takes less time to travel,
- Assess your own carbon footprint. WWF have a carbon footprint calculator: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk
Social
The social aspect focuses on how a business impacts wider society and workplace culture. Organisations can positively contribute to fairness in society, investing in fair and equal opportunities and conditions for employees, people working in the supply chain, and local communities.
Examples of social business practices include:
- Making sure your recruitment practices uphold safe and fair recruitment.
- Taking an ethical and moral responsibility when recruiting people from overseas
- Making sure you have policies and procedures in place such as Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
- Promoting equality in the workforce with diversity and inclusivity policies
Governance
Governance refers to the processes of decision-making, reporting, and the compliance processes of running a business. Governance is linked to the environmental and social aspects of ESG in that it looks at the ethical and moral responsibilities you have as a business and to the staff, the people you support and the community.
Examples of governance practices include:
- Develop your own environmental sustainability plan.
- Business leaders and managers taking a responsibility to holistically risk assess the business including the environment, staff practice, care practice and engagement with the wider community and other businesses.
- Staff and leaders empower their staff to understand sustainable healthcare and how to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare activity.
- Engage your team, engage the people you support, make sure you have a policy, share your progress.
We are already 8 months into the Single Assessment Framework, this quality statement may not be assessed until 2025 but NOW is the time to start planning what you are doing and preparing the evidence.
- Do you have an environmental sustainability policy?
- Have you consulted with staff and people who use your services?
- Have you developed an Action Plan?
W&P have a long history of supporting social care businesses. If you have any questions about your business’s environmental sustainability or, require our Sustainability Policy, please visit www.wandptraining.co.uk
