Task 

Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England with a remit to moderate and ensure services in the sector provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care. In May 2021, CQC published a new strategy that aimed to make regulation more relevant to the way care is delivered. Thus, CQC committed to delivering on their purpose through an evidence-based approach that centres on: 

• Identifying and investigating what is most important in ensuring good quality care, 

• Investing in research and making better use of external evidence to understand that conditions that drive quality improvement,  

• Embedding a culture of learning and evaluation in CQC to maximise impact.  

As a result, a research programme was developed that aimed to fill key knowledge gaps in priority areas, use evidence to promote more effective regulation, and share learning widely across the sector.  

In 2024, TONIC was commissioned by CQC to act as a research partner to support CQC in maximising the impact and visibility of several key outputs from the research programme. The aims and objectives of the project included: 

• Reviewing, synthesising, and thematically organising findings from eight different studies to highlight key ideas and identify overarching themes.  

• Offering insights on effective methods for identifying impactful themes within the evidence and guiding future directions in research commissioning and the development of materials. 

• Creating a collection of simple and compelling materials aimed at conveying the research findings to a diverse audience, comprising of internal stakeholders, to foster improvements in practises and policies, and external audiences, to drive improvement in care quality.  

TONIC’s Approach 

TONIC structured the project across two main workstreams; the first involved conducting a Thematic Synthesis combining findings from eight selected studies, and the second focused on developing a set of engaging and accessible outputs.  

Thematic Synthesis: several overarching themes were highlighted across the studies that provided an integrated overview of the features of health and adult social care that contribute to high-quality care.  

• People: focusing on cultures that value the needs of the workforce and people who use services, fostering environments where everyone feels respected and involved.  

• Participation: involving people who use services and communities at every stage of health and care process.  

• Leadership: strong leadership driving quality through clear, supportive, and inclusive practices.  

• Learning: promoting continuous improvement and adaptation through learning from experience and evidence-based practices.  

• Evaluation: robust evaluation mechanisms to measure and enhance the quality of care. 

• Partnerships: effective collaboration with external partners to integrate diverse perspectives and resources, enhancing the quality and effectiveness of health and social care systems.  

Materials and Outputs: A series of digital materials were created to disseminate the synthesised findings as well as summaries of the eight individual reports. Internal stakeholders identified a clear need for these to be structured in accessible and engaging ways to staff to integrate research findings into daily practises. External stakeholders emphasised the role of CQC in leading evidence-based improvements in the health and adult social care sectors through generating research and communicating the evidence across the sector. The final set outputs included visuals summaries and recommendations for future dissemination including:  

• Infographics  

• Interactive web pages  

• Webinars and virtual conferences  

Outcome 

TONIC produced a detailed and comprehensive report presenting the methodology, findings, and recommendations from the project. There were four key recommendations proposed by TONIC in the report: 

• Embed impact, dissemination and accessibility into contract specifications: provide detailed guidance and templates to future suppliers to ensure consistency and accessibility of outputs.  

• Adopt web-based formats: transition research dissemination to web-based formats, enhancing accessibility and ensuring content remains relevant and up to date.   

• Structure internal processes: before commissioning research, CQC should consult internal audiences to align research objectives with organisational needs. 

• Streamline engagement and planning: enhance internal alignment by integrating research findings with strategic priorities and by adopting a proactive communication strategy.