Fit and Proper Persons: what this means (in plain English)
CQC expects our directors and senior leaders to be “fit and proper”. That means they must be:
honest and of good character
competent to oversee safe, high-quality care
not disqualified (e.g., barred list, director disqualification)
able to do the role properly
not linked to serious misconduct or mismanagement in care
This matters because decisions made at board level affect:
your safety as a lone worker in a private home
how incidents are handled
safeguarding responses
the support you get when something goes wrong
whether learning turns into real improvements
What you should expect from leadership
Leaders should make sure:
safeguarding concerns are taken seriously and acted on quickly
you can raise concerns without fear
incidents lead to learning (not blame)
live-in risks are governed properly (lone working, long shifts, medication storage, escalation delays)
What to do if…
…you feel pressured to keep quiet about a concern
Write down what happened (facts only: who/what/when/where).
Report it using the Whistleblowing / Speaking Up route (not just to the person involved).
If it relates to immediate safety, escalate urgently to the on-call/contact process.
…a senior person asks you to do something unsafe or against the care plan
Examples:
“Don’t call the GP”
“Don’t record that incident”
“Just give extra medication” (outside the MAR plan)
“Ignore the safeguarding issue, the family are influential”
Do this:
Follow the care plan and medication policy — do not improvise.
Escalate to the Care Team / on-call immediately.
If you believe someone is at risk of harm, treat it as a safeguarding concern.
…you think a leader’s behaviour puts clients or carers at risk
Examples:
discouraging reporting
minimising safeguarding concerns
repeated poor decisions after incidents
conflicts of interest affecting care decisions
Do this:
Report via Whistleblowing / Speaking Up (this is the right route for leadership concerns).
Include clear facts and dates.
If there is immediate risk to a client, follow safeguarding escalation immediately.
…you are worried about retaliation
You can raise concerns through the Speaking Up route.
Concerns are handled confidentially as far as possible.
You will be supported for raising genuine concerns.
Live-in scenario reminders
You work in someone’s private home, often alone. If something feels unsafe, escalate early.
If a family member tries to block professional involvement (GP/District Nurse/safeguarding), escalate immediately.
If you’re unsure, call the Care Team rather than waiting.