Registering a health or care service in England
Start with the activities your organisation will carry on, then build an application that accurately describes the people, premises and systems behind the service.
Read the guideThe independent guide
A clearer view of CQC requirements.
Practical, independent explanations of registration, regulation and assessment. Start with the question you need to answer.
Looking for a particular rule? Browse the fundamental standards directory, compare the current assessment approach and proposed changes, or use the plain-English glossary.
Put the guidance to work
Read the practical notes ↗From a finding to a working method.
Four original implementation notes on indexing evidence, recording findings, checking improvements and running governance reviews.
Regulation 17: good governance that can be evidenced
Good governance means knowing where care may be unsafe, acting on reliable information and checking whether the action worked. An audit file should show that sequence clearly.
Read the guidePreparing evidence for the Well-led key question
Well-led evidence should show how leaders understand the service, respond to concerns and improve people's experiences. Keep the current framework separate from draft sector proposals.
Read the guideThe fundamental standards: a practical overview
The fundamental standards establish legal requirements for regulated care. Use them to connect everyday practice with evidence, including the visiting and accompanying duty in Regulation 9A.
Read the guidePreparing for an assessment without disrupting care
A useful preparation process makes evidence easy to find, helps staff explain their work and addresses known risks. It should strengthen normal care rather than create a performance for inspection day.
Read the guideResponding to reports, notices and enforcement
Identify the procedure before drafting a response. Factual accuracy, rating process review, Warning Notice representations and tribunal appeals have different grounds and time limits.
Read the guideStatutory notifications: making the right report
A sound notification process identifies the legal trigger, sends the right information through the correct route and retains evidence of submission. Different events have different timescales.
Read the guideData protection and DSPT for health and care providers
Protecting care information requires lawful use, appropriate security and the right assurance route. DSPT supports that work, but it does not replace a provider's wider legal responsibilities.
Read the guide