Check the scope
Registered providers carrying on regulated activities in England, with staffing and development arrangements matched to the people supported and the work performed.
What the law requires
- Deploy enough suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced people to meet the requirements of the regulations.
- Provide the support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal necessary for staff to carry out their duties.
- Enable appropriate further qualifications and support regulated professionals to provide evidence that they continue to meet the standards required for their practice.
What CQC expects
- CQC guidance expects a systematic approach to staffing levels and skill mix, reviewed as people’s needs change, with arrangements for emergencies and continuity.
- Induction, supervision and development should establish competence in practice. Guidance includes role-appropriate training and supervision for supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability.
Suggested checks for your review
- Compare assessed needs, planned deployment and actual staffing across a sample of shifts, visits or clinics, including periods of absence.
- Check whether staff had sufficient time and the necessary competence for the work assigned, including escalation and supervision.
- Follow a training need through learning, supported practice and evidence of competence; check what happens while a gap remains unresolved.
Illustrative evidence
Choose evidence relevant to the actual service and risk. These examples are not a universal list of documents required by CQC.
- Staffing assessments, rotas or visit plans and records of actual deployment.
- Role-specific induction, development plans, supervision and competence assessments.
- Contingency arrangements and records showing how staffing pressures were addressed.
Potential gaps to check
- A stable rota conceals changes in dependency, complexity or travel time.
- Training attendance is recorded as competence without assessing whether staff can apply it.
- Agency or new staff receive tasks before local induction, supervision or access to essential information is complete.
- Shortfalls recur without reviewing their impact on the person receiving care or the wider team.
Sources and review
- cqc.org.uk — Regulation 18 (opens in a new tab)
- legislation.gov.uk — Uksi · 2014 · 2936 · regulation · 18 (opens in a new tab)
- cqc.org.uk — Training staff support autistic people and people learning disability (opens in a new tab)
Content version: 1 November 2026. Next planned review 1 December 2026. Check current primary sources before relying on a requirement.
Give the finding a next step.
Add a non-confidential action or evidence reference to your own working plan.
Open the evidence workbenchRelated guidance and next steps
Content version: . Named expert review remains pending for public launch.