PAMMS – a quick summary

PAMMS, or Provider Assessment and Market Management Solution, is an online tool that helps local authorities improve adult social care services. Here’s a quick overview:
• Purpose: Helps local councils assess and monitor care providers.
• Key features: Provides detailed evaluations, real-time insights, and market-wide oversight.
• Main benefit: Ensures safe, effective, and high-quality care for people who need support.
• Difference from CQC: While the CQC focuses on national regulations, PAMMS helps local authorities tailor improvements to their region’s specific needs.
Read on for a deeper understanding of PAMMS and its importance.

What is PAMMS?
PAMMS stands for Provider Assessment and Market Management Solution. It’s a tool designed to help local authorities assess the quality of care provided by adult social care services
By using a structured and standardised approach, PAMMS helps to ensure that care services meet high standards and are aligned with the needs of the people living in the area.
By offering detailed assessments, market oversight, and collaborative improvement opportunities, PAMMS enables authorities to ensure that care services are safe, effective, and person-centred.
While the CQC (Care Quality Commission) provides national regulatory oversight, PAMMS empowers local authorities to take a more active and tailored role in improving care quality in their communities. Together, these tools contribute to a stronger, more reliable adult social care system.

Why was PAMMS created?
Adult social care services are vital for supporting older adults, individuals with disabilities, and others who require extra assistance. Local authorities have a legal and ethical responsibility to oversee the quality of these services. However, assessing and managing multiple care providers can be challenging due to variations in service types, care delivery models, and local needs.
PAMMS was developed to simplify and enhance this process. It provides local authorities with tools to:
• Assess and inspect the performance of care providers consistently.
• Highlight areas for improvement.
• Gain an overall view of the care market to ensure sufficient, high-quality care options are available in their local authority area.

Why Is PAMMS Important?
The quality of adult social care directly impacts the lives of vulnerable people. PAMMS helps local authorities uphold high standards, identify issues quickly, and drive continuous improvement. By complementing the work of national regulators like the CQC, PAMMS ensures that care services are both legally compliant and responsive to the needs of local communities

How does PAMMS work?
PAMMS offers a digital platform that local authority staff can access to evaluate and monitor care services. Its key features include:
1. Assessment framework
PAMMS provides a clear framework to assess care providers across multiple areas, including:
o Safety and safeguarding.
o Effectiveness of care delivery.
o Support for individuals’ wellbeing and dignity.
o Regulatory compliance.
2. Real-time data and insights
PAMMS generates detailed reports and dashboards, offering a snapshot of a provider’s performance. This allows local authorities to make informed decisions about where to focus their resources or interventions.
3. Market oversight
Beyond individual assessments, PAMMS helps local authorities monitor their overall care market. This insight ensures that care services in the region are sufficient, sustainable, and continuously improving.

How Is PAMMS different from the CQC?
While PAMMS and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) both aim to uphold standards in adult social care and carry out regular inspections, they have distinct roles and approaches:
• Purpose:
o The CQC is a national regulatory body responsible for inspecting and rating care providers across England. Its primary role is ensuring compliance with legal standards and identifying risks to people’s safety and wellbeing.
o PAMMS is a localised tool designed to support councils in assessing the quality of care providers in the area and managing the local care market. It focuses on improving services and tailoring care quality to local needs.
• Scope:
o The CQC evaluates providers against national standards and publishes ratings (e.g., Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate).
o PAMMS provides a more detailed and tailored evaluation of providers, specific to the priorities and criteria set by each local authority.
• Collaboration vs. regulation:
o The CQC acts as an independent regulator and can take enforcement action, such as suspending providers who fail to meet standards.
o PAMMS is a collaborative tool, used by local authorities to work with providers on improving quality. It emphasises partnership and improvement over punitive action.
• Frequency and focus:
o CQC inspections occur periodically, with a focus on regulatory compliance.
o PAMMS allows continuous monitoring and provides real-time insights, helping authorities track trends and address issues proactively.

In essence, while the CQC focuses on regulatory oversight at a national level, PAMMS provides local authorities with practical tools to improve care quality and ensure the market meets local needs. The two systems complement each other, offering a comprehensive approach to ensuring high standards in adult social care.
At Athena Care Homes we take the feedback from inspections for both PAMMS and the CQC very seriously and work with both bodies to ensure we are constantly monitoring and improving our own performance and ensuring the best possible care for all our residents.

Who benefits from PAMMS?
PAMMS benefits a wide range of stakeholders:
• Local authorities: It simplifies their work, providing tools to assess, monitor, and manage care providers effectively.
• Care providers: Companies like Athena Care Homes receive detailed feedback and guidance, enabling them to improve their services.
• People receiving care: The ultimate beneficiaries are individuals relying on care services, who gain access to safer, higher-quality, and more responsive care.