CQC Care Plan Template: Free Download, What Inspectors Check and Worked Examples (2026)
A free person-centred care plan template, what CQC expects a care plan to show, how to write one in practice with worked examples, and how to check yours before an inspector does.
CQC does not publish an official care plan template or a required format. A care plan meets CQC’s expectations when it records an assessment done with the person, their needs and preferences, the outcomes they want and how staff will support them, and when it is kept up to date and followed in practice. That comes from Regulation 9 (person-centred care) and CQC’s person-centred care quality statement, plus Regulation 17, which requires an accurate, complete and contemporaneous record for each person. Below you can download a free Word template built around those requirements, see worked examples, and use a short audit to test your own plans.
This page is for registered managers, deputies and care planners in care homes and home care agencies in England. It explains what CQC says about care plans, gives you a free template to adapt, shows what good and weak wording looks like, and lists what inspectors compare a plan against. Where something is our suggestion rather than a CQC rule, we say so. CQCLogic is a compliance platform, not a care planning system, so keep your care planning software or paper system if you have one.
Download the free care plan template
Person-centred care plan template (.docx): eight sections (about me, assessment summary, needs and outcomes by area, risks, capacity and consent, professionals involved, hospital information and a review record), with a worked example of the level of detail to aim for. Works for care homes and home care. It is our suggested layout, not a CQC form.
Key takeaways
- CQC has no official care plan template. It judges whether care plans reflect people’s needs and are followed, not which format you use.
- The person must be involved in planning their care, and the plan must reflect their preferences as well as their needs.
- Write needs, the outcome the person wants and exactly how staff will support them: who, when and how.
- Link the plan to risk assessments, capacity and consent decisions, and keep a review record.
- Inspectors compare the plan with what they see and what people and staff tell them.
In this guide
- Does CQC have a care plan template?
- What the free template contains
- What should a care plan include? The core components
- How to write a care plan: weak and strong wording
- Worked care plan examples (fictional)
- Care homes and home care: what differs
- How often should a care plan be reviewed?
- How to check your care plans before an inspector does
- Free and paid care plan templates compared
- Sources and how this was checked
- Frequently asked questions
Does CQC have a care plan template?
No. CQC sets the standard a care plan must meet but not the layout. The relevant parts are:
| Source | What it says | What your plan needs |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation 9, person-centred care | Care must be appropriate, meet people’s needs and reflect their preferences, based on an assessment carried out with the person, and reviewed regularly | An assessment, needs, preferences and a review record |
| CQC quality statement: Person-centred care | People’s care plans fully reflect their physical, mental, emotional and social needs, including those related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act. People and those close to them are regularly involved in planning and making shared decisions | All areas of need, evidence of involvement, decisions recorded |
| Quality statement “I statements” | Include “I am in control of planning my care and support” and “I know how to access my health and care records” | Plain language, in the person’s voice, and access to their record |
| Regulation 17, good governance | An accurate, complete and contemporaneous record in respect of each service user, including a record of the care and treatment provided and decisions taken | Up-to-date plans, daily notes that match them, secure storage |
| Regulations 10, 11, 12, 14 | Dignity and respect, consent, safe care and treatment, nutrition and hydration | Links to risk assessments, capacity and consent, nutrition and hydration needs |
The quality statement lists best practice guidance providers are expected to be aware of, including NICE guidance on dementia and on growing older with a learning disability, and Skills for Care guidance on person-centred approaches. See also our guide to what a care plan is and how often to review it and person-centred care.
What the free template contains
| Section | What to record |
|---|---|
| 1. About me | Preferred name, contacts, communication needs, culture and beliefs, what matters most, life story, routine, dislikes |
| 2. Assessment summary | Date, who took part with the person, sources used, strengths, anything the person did not want to discuss |
| 3. Needs, outcomes and support | One row per area (personal care, mobility, eating and drinking, continence, skin, medicines, health conditions, communication, memory and decisions, mood, sleep, interests, culture and faith): what I need, the outcome I want, how staff will support me, review date |
| 4. Risks | Each risk, link to the risk assessment, how it is managed, next review |
| 5. Capacity, consent and decisions | Decision-specific capacity assessments, best interests decisions, who acts for the person, restrictions and authorisations |
| 6. Professionals involved | GP, district nurse, therapists, social worker, their contact details and next contact |
| 7. If I need to go to hospital | Key information to send, what helps the person feel calm, who goes with them |
| 8. Review record | Date, who took part, what changed, next review date, signature |
Download the template (.docx). Delete areas that do not apply and add your own. Each service should adapt it, and your own assessment tools and risk assessments still apply.
What should a care plan include? The core components
There is no official list of “five components”, but good care plans share the same core parts, which map to what CQC expects:
- Who the person is: preferences, history, communication, culture and what matters to them.
- Assessed needs: physical, mental, emotional and social, based on an assessment with the person.
- Outcomes: what the person wants to achieve or keep doing.
- Support actions: who does what, when, how often and in what way the person prefers.
- Risks, capacity and consent: linked risk assessments and decisions recorded.
- Review: when it was reviewed, who took part and what changed.
How to write a care plan: weak and strong wording
For each area, capture the need, the outcome the person wants and how you will support them. The examples below are fictional and show the level of detail to aim for.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| “Needs help with meals.” | “I can feed myself but my hands shake after a stroke. I want to keep eating in the dining room with others. Staff cut up my food, sit beside me, and offer a lipped plate. Record how much I eat on my food chart. Tell the senior if I cough while eating.” |
| “Likes to be independent.” | “I want to wash my own face and hands. Staff set out my flannel and wait outside the door until I ask for help with my back and feet.” |
| “Gets anxious at night.” | “I get frightened when it is dark. I like the landing light on and the radio low. If I am awake, a carer sits with me for ten minutes and offers a warm drink. Record what helped in the night notes.” |
| “Takes medicines as prescribed.” | “I take my tablets with orange squash, not water. A trained carer gives them at 8am and 8pm, stays until I have swallowed them and records it on my MAR chart. If I refuse, record it and tell the senior.” |
Worked care plan examples (fictional)
Care home: dementia and communication
| Area | What I need and prefer | Outcome I want | How staff support me |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication and memory | I forget recent events and ask the same question again. I understand short sentences and respond to my daughter’s photo | To feel safe and not be corrected | Answer each time calmly. Use short sentences, one question at a time. Show my family photo board. Do not say “I told you already”. Tell the senior if I become distressed for more than 15 minutes |
Home care: morning visit
| Area | What I need and prefer | Outcome I want | How staff support me |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal care and mobility | I live alone and use a walking frame. I need help getting out of bed and washing my back. I like a wash first, then tea | To stay in my own home and keep walking | Visit between 8 and 8.45am (30 minutes). Check frame within reach, two carers not needed. Help me wash my back and feet, I do the rest. Make tea. Check I am steady before leaving. Record in daily notes and tell the office if I seem unwell |
Care home: mobility and falls
| Area | What I need and prefer | Outcome I want | How staff support me |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobility and falls | I walk with a frame and get dizzy when I stand quickly. I fell in March | To keep walking to the dining room myself | One carer walks beside me at meals and when I go to the lounge. Check my frame is within reach each time I sit. Remind me to stand slowly. Record any dizziness and tell the senior. Review falls risk monthly |
These are illustrations only. Every plan must reflect the individual, their assessment and the advice of the professionals involved.
Care homes and home care: what differs
| Care home | Home care | |
|---|---|---|
| Common name | Care plan | Care and support plan, support plan |
| What the plan must cover | All areas of need across 24 hours, including night care and activities | The visits you provide, plus risks in the home (access, equipment, pets, lone working) and what happens if a visit cannot be made |
| Who else sees it | Staff on all shifts; records kept on site | Care workers visiting alone; a copy in the person’s home, plus office records |
| Review triggers | Falls, hospital stay, weight loss, behaviour change, incident, change in medication | The same, plus missed or late visits, family concerns, changes in the person’s home or carers |
| Home care review benchmark | NICE recommends reviewing home care plan outcomes within 6 weeks of starting the service (quality standard on home care for older people) |
How often should a care plan be reviewed?
CQC does not set a fixed period. Its Regulation 9 guidance says assessments should be reviewed regularly and whenever needed, including when people move between services. Set your own schedule by risk and write it in your policy. Many services review monthly for people at higher risk, and at least every few months otherwise, plus after any incident, hospital stay or change in needs. Record each review on the plan with the date, who took part and what changed.
How to check your care plans before an inspector does
Sample plans for different needs and shifts, and ask these questions (our suggestion, not a CQC checklist):
- Was the plan written with the person, and does it say who was involved?
- Does it cover physical, mental, emotional and social needs, including culture, faith and communication?
- Does each need have an outcome and clear support instructions (who, when, how)?
- Are risks linked to current risk assessments, and capacity and consent decisions recorded?
- Do daily notes show the plan being followed?
- Is the review date in the past? Was it reviewed after the last incident or hospital stay?
- Can staff on shift tell you what is in the plan, and does what you see match it?
Our free CQC audit pack includes a care plan audit and an action log. See also what evidence inspectors look for.
Free and paid care plan templates compared
What each source offers, as shown on their sites on 25 October 2026:
| Source | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| CQC | The standard (Regulation 9, quality statement) but no template | Free |
| CQCLogic (this page) | One adaptable Word template with worked examples and a care plan audit in the free audit pack | Free |
| Herodocs | About 50 free templates, including a care plan template for supported living and an About Me form | Free (login for PDF versions) |
| QCS | Template packs: up to 19 pages for assessment and information gathering and up to 79 pages for admission and care plans | Subscription (24-hour free trial offered) |
| Birdie, Access Group | Care plan examples for different conditions and settings, and care planning software | Examples free; software paid |
Use any template as a starting point. Inspectors can tell the difference between a plan written for the person and a template with the name changed.
Sources and how this was checked
- CQC: Person-centred care quality statement (read 25 October 2026).
- CQC: Regulation 9, person-centred care and Regulation 17, good governance.
- Competitor pages read 25 October 2026: QCS, Birdie, Access Group, Herodocs.
- NICE quality standard on home care for older people (6-week review).
The template, worked examples, audit questions and review suggestions are ours, not CQC requirements. Examples are fictional. This is not clinical or legal advice.
Check your care records against what inspectors look for
CQCLogic tracks audits, actions, supervision and training so care plan checks are scheduled and evidenced. It does not write or store care plans. See a sample improvement plan, view pricing or get started free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does CQC have a care plan template?
No. CQC publishes the standard care plans must meet (Regulation 9 and the person-centred care quality statement) but no official template or format. You can use any layout that shows an assessment with the person, their needs and preferences, outcomes, how staff will support them and a review record.
What should a care plan include?
About the person and their preferences, assessed needs across physical, mental, emotional and social areas, the outcomes they want, how staff will support them, linked risk assessments, capacity and consent decisions, professionals involved and a review record.
What are the 5 main components of a care plan?
There is no official five. Most plans share: who the person is, assessed needs, outcomes, support actions, risks with capacity and consent, and a review. The free template on this page covers all of them.
What does CQC look for in care plans?
That plans reflect people’s needs and preferences, that people were involved, that risks and decisions are recorded, that records are accurate and up to date, and that what staff do matches the plan. Inspectors compare plans with observation and what people and staff say.
How do you write a care plan example?
For each area write the need, the outcome the person wants and how staff will support them: who, when, how often and in what way. Use the person’s own words and be specific. See the weak and strong examples above.
How often should a care plan be reviewed?
CQC sets no fixed period. Guidance says assessments should be reviewed regularly and whenever needed. Set a schedule by risk, review after any incident, hospital stay or change in needs, and record each review.
Is there a free care plan template for home care?
Yes. The template on this page works for home care as well as care homes. Replace room details with the home address, list your visits and add risks in the home. NICE recommends a review of home care plan outcomes within 6 weeks of starting.
Who should be involved in writing the care plan?
The person, and anyone they want involved such as family, an advocate or an attorney, together with staff who know them and relevant professionals. Record who took part and how the person’s views were gathered.
Can I use a digital care planning system?
Yes. CQC accepts paper and electronic records if they are accurate, secure and meet data protection law. The same content requirements apply whichever system you use.