CQC board names new chief executive

Ian Trenholm has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The former chief executive of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead would take over from Sir David Behan in July, who leaves the position after six years.

Following his appointment, Trenholm said he was looking to continue the work of his predecessor during an uncertain period for the health and social care sector.

“I look forward to working with the CQC team to build on the strong foundations already in place, creating innovative methods of assuring safe and effective care for all.”

Technology to play key role

CQC chair Peter Wyman said he was delighted the board had made “such a strong appointment”, explaining that Trenholm had been chosen for his “significant leadership experience” and “commitment to making a difference to people’s lives”.

Wyman also paid tribute to Behan, describing how the CQC had “become a catalyst for improvement” under his leadership.

In accordance with a major theme of new Association of Directors of Adults Social Services (ADASS) president Glen Garrod’s inaugural speech at this year’s spring seminar last month, Wyman emphasised Trenholm’s responsibility to improve the regulator’s service through the use of technology.

“I’m confident that we have found the right person to lead delivery on the next stage of our strategy – using new technology and new ways of working with the public and providers to continuously improve how we assess performance, encourage improvement and check that people get safe, high quality care,” Wyman said.

Last May, the CQC published its strategy for 2016-2021, saying it would attempt to deliver an “intelligence-driven approach” to regulation by implementing a new “insight model” that would monitor the quality of its services.

It pledged to find “new and better ways” to listen to public feedback about services and improve how it “monitors, analyses and responds” this information.