The provider information return (PIR) that you receive each year from CQC, is a regulatory requirement, but did you know, that it can also be a useful tool to help you improve the quality of your service, and help you highlight your services best features?
You may have received these before and be well-versed in submitting your return or you may be awaiting your first return, either way, applying some simple steps can help you benefit from the PIR process.
You should also note that the PIR is not a standalone document. It does form part of the wider inspection process, so preparing a detailed, well-evidenced report is important to your care business.
Opportunity to reflect
The PIR asks for a mix of both qualitative and quantitative questions. This means that in some sections, you will be providing key data in numbers and in other sections you are given 500 words to write freely.
By taking a little time to plan your response, you will be able to complete your return much more efficiently. When planning your report, consider:
The data that is being requested: Do you know where to find it? How easy is it to collate your numbers? Can you just run a simple report or are you going to have to gather your data manually?
Writing well-formed responses: Consider the key points you wish to highlight, 500 words may seem a lot, but once you reflect, you may find you have more to say than you think. It is important to answer the questions, but is there anything important you need to tell your CQC inspector that relate to these questions? You may have achievements to share, or know about issues that are affecting your service and perhaps the wider industry locally. The PIR is a good opportunity to make your CQC inspector aware of these.
Tips for writing a good response:
- Gather all your data, evidence and make notes of key points in preparation for writing your PIR.
- Answer the question being asked in full.
- Include relevant information about your service or locality that relates to the question.
- Evidence your points wherever possible.
- Stay within the word count and write clearly and concisely.
Improve your internal systems
Take the opportunity while collating your information to do a mini-audit on your internal systems. Take notes about any issues you had in gathering your data so that you can consider ideas for improvement later.
Identifying and improving inefficiencies will save you time, which translates to a cost saving the next time you need to gather key information.
Common issues include:
- Incomplete data where records have not been completed as they should be.
- Missing data where information is not captured.
- Fragmented data where the information is there, but is stored in different places.
- Poor filtering where you cannot run a report to capture all the data you need at once.
Use what you learn to improve your service quality
As a provider of high-quality care, you want the best for your service users and their families and of course, your staff. As a Registered Manager, one of the key aspects of your role is maintaining those high standards and your PIR can be another useful tool in your audit toolkit.
Once you have prepared and submitted your PIR, take some time to revisit your answers as these are now rich with learning points you can take forward. Consider how you can use the information you have gathered, for example:
- Improving internal systems.
- Identifying new ways of working.
- Publicise evidence of your high-quality services and areas of best practice.
- Identify areas for improvement and find solutions to challenges.
By appreciating the value of the PIR process, as an opportunity to internally evaluate your service, as well as part of the wider external inspection process, we begin to understand why it is such an important document.
Provider Information Returns (PIRs) aren’t just a regulatory tick-box exercise—they’re a powerful tool to help care providers improve service quality, showcase their strengths, and stay inspection-ready
At Insequa, our skilled team of social care experts and writers can support you through each of these steps to help you create and submit a detailed and relevant PIR, and our compliance team can offer a range of products and services including mock-inspections and system solutions to help you to develop your high service standards.
