Streamlining your PIR Submission: Guidance and tips
England’s health and social care regulator, The Care Quality Commission (CQC) mandates that providers submit an annual update for all services, known as the Provider Information Return (PIR), as stipulated by Regulation 17(3) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The primary objective of the PIR is to enable the regulator to assess whether each registered provider complies with regulatory standards, ensuring that services are safe, caring, effective, responsive and well-led.
On an annual basis, the timing of the initial site visit dictates when the registered manager will receive the PIR form. Once received, CQC allows a four-week window for submission. The PIR is to be filled out by the registered manager, providing the most up-to-date information. Following submission, the form undergoes review, and any missing details will be requested. It is recommended to consistently update your PIR information throughout the year. This practice helps streamline the process and reduces the risk of encountering inaccurate data when referring to a full year’s worth of information.
CCQ provide valuable guidance on answering the questions in the PIR.
Registered manager: Correct information
If there are any inaccuracies in the contact information of the registered manager, the nominated individual will receive an email containing a link to update the details. Note that any necessary updates must be submitted within one week to allow sufficient time for the registered manager to complete the PIR.
Provider Information Return procedure
- Registered managers are sent an email containing a link to access the PIR form for completion. They are required to submit the form within a 4-week timeframe, which occurs annually. The deadline is based on the anniversary month of the provider’s initial site visit. It is important to highlight that CQC reserves the right to schedule the invitation in an alternate month if necessary.
- Nominated individuals receive notifications regarding the PIR request sent to the registered manager. However, they do not receive a PIR link unless they also hold the position of the registered manager.
- The PIR should be filled out by the registered manager using the most up-to-date information available.
- Upon submission, a summary of the responses is presented, allowing for printing. Additionally, an email copy is dispatched to the email address documented in the PIR. Registered managers are not obligated to send any printed or email copies to CQC.
- Upon completion of the PIR review, CQC may contact the registered manager to seek additional information for clarification on the responses provided or to acquire more detailed information.
The (PIR) link, which is sent to the registered manager via email, is exclusive to the specific organisation and should not be shared. This link will come pre-populated with essential details such as the provider’s location name and ID, address, registration date, provider name and ID, as well as the type of organisation.
PIR guidance for adult social care
CQC has offered supplementary information to assist providers in formulating their responses, which should prove to be highly beneficial. Furthermore, there are references to the five key questions along with their respective quality statements, directly associated with each PIR question. Reviewing these resources will not only enhance providers’ comprehension of CQC’s standards but also aid in directing their responses more effectively.
Providers of adult social care are responsible for offering both general information and specific details pertaining to their particular service type. The necessary information will encompass:
- Successes and barriers to good care
- People who use services
- Staff
- Commissioners and partnerships
- Quality assurance and risk management
- Service settings
- Domiciliary care agencies
- Supported living
- Extra care housing
- Information not included elsewhere
All enquiries on the PIR form relate to the services offered to individuals receiving regulated activities, including personal care, as well as the staff and other individuals involved in delivering regulated activities. Information regarding accessing and viewing the of the PIR form can be found here.
Seven top tips for completing the PIR form
- Some of the questions are mandatory, it is prudent to be methodical when approaching this piece of work.
- Answers should be clear and concise and will need anonymised examples of supporting evidence for each free text response. Note that some answers are limited to 500 words
- All mandatory questions MUST be answered, if not, the form will not be submitted
- Make sure that telephone numbers and emails are correct and in the format requested
- Follow guidelines about free text questions e.g. answers should not contain hyphens or special characters
- Do not include attachments with the PIR, CQC will request additional information if they require it
- Once submitted, look out for an email containing a unique reference number
Hopefully, you are well-prepared with the necessary information to successfully complete the PIR. A key piece of advice is to begin promptly and invest time in establishing streamlined processes that simplify the PIR process. Last-minute information searches are impractical and only add to the stress that many providers already face.
Know the exact location of your information and leverage the technology available at your fingertips to streamline and enhance the process of completing the PIR effortlessly. Lots of the information required for your PIR can be accessed through CareLineLive’s features see our website for more information and book a no-obligation demo by following the link here.
