CQC Quality Statements: The Full List of 34, With Examples
All 34 CQC quality statements grouped by key question, what each means in plain English, examples of evidence you might hold, how “we statements” and “I statements” work, how statements are scored, and what could change next.
There are 34 CQC quality statements, grouped under five key questions: Safe (8), Effective (6), Caring (5), Responsive (7) and Well-led (8). They are written as “we statements”, commitments that providers, commissioners and system leaders should live up to, and CQC uses them, with the evidence it gathers, to judge and rate services. CQC has said it plans to replace them with new frameworks, but it had not confirmed a go-live date at its 27 August 2026 update, so these remain the live system.
Quality statements are the detailed standards CQC assesses services against under its assessment framework. This page gives the complete list using CQC’s own statement names, explains each in plain English with examples of the evidence you might hold, and covers how “we” and “I” statements differ, how statements are scored into ratings, which ones CQC is prioritising in adult social care in 2026, and what may change.
Key takeaways
- 34 quality statements sit under five key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led.
- Each is a “we statement”. CQC also links “I statements” that describe what good looks like for the person.
- CQC scores each statement it assesses from 1 to 4, and builds those into key question ratings.
- Since 2 December 2024 CQC scores at quality statement level only, not by evidence category.
- In 2026 CQC is prioritising a smaller set of statements in some assessments, such as 18 in its “returning to good” approach.
- CQC plans new frameworks, but had not set a go-live date at its 27 August 2026 update.
In this guide
- What Are CQC Quality Statements?
- Safe: 8 Quality Statements
- Effective: 6 Quality Statements
- Caring: 5 Quality Statements
- Responsive: 7 Quality Statements
- Well-led: 8 Quality Statements
- We Statements and I Statements
- The Six Evidence Categories
- How Quality Statements Are Scored
- Which Statements CQC Prioritises in 2026
- Will the Quality Statements Change?
- CQC Quality Statements Template: All 34 in One Tracker
- Using the Statements Day to Day
- Frequently asked questions
What Are CQC Quality Statements?
CQC’s assessment framework is made up of 5 key questions and, under each, a set of quality statements. The key questions are the things CQC asks of every health and social care service: is it safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led? The quality statements are the commitments that providers, commissioners and system leaders should live up to. They are expressed as “we statements” and relate to the regulations CQC considers when making judgements (CQC: Assessment framework). The official list is published in Appendix 1 of CQC’s review of the framework. The tables below paraphrase each statement rather than quote it, so check CQC’s wording when you need it exactly.
Quality statements replaced CQC’s earlier key lines of enquiry (KLOEs) when the single assessment framework rolled out from late 2023. See what KLOEs are and why they may return.
Safe: 8 Quality Statements
Safe means people are protected from bullying, harassment, avoidable harm, neglect, abuse and discrimination, and that leaders embed a culture of openness and collaboration.
| Quality statement | What it means in practice | Example evidence (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| Learning culture | An open, honest culture that investigates concerns and learns from mistakes | Incident and near-miss log with actions and lessons shared with staff |
| Safe systems, pathways and transitions | Working with partners so care stays safe and continuous when people move between services | Handover records, hospital transfer information, shared care plans |
| Safeguarding | Protecting people from abuse, neglect and discrimination and sharing concerns quickly | Safeguarding log, referrals and outcomes, staff training records |
| Involving people to manage risks | Managing risk with each person, not through blanket rules | Risk assessments agreed with the person and reviewed |
| Safe environments | Detecting and controlling risks in the premises, equipment and technology | Maintenance, fire and equipment safety checks |
| Safe and effective staffing | Enough qualified, skilled and supported staff to meet people’s needs | Rotas against dependency, supervision and training records, recruitment files |
| Infection prevention and control | Assessing and managing the risk of infection and how it spreads | IPC audits, cleaning schedules, outbreak plan |
| Medicines optimisation | Medicines and treatments that are safe and meet each person’s needs and preferences | MAR chart checks, medicines audits, error log with actions |
Effective: 6 Quality Statements
Effective means people’s needs are assessed, care reflects those needs and current good practice, services work together, and leaders foster a culture of improvement.
| Quality statement | What it means in practice | Example evidence (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| Assessing needs | Assessing and reviewing health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with the person | Pre-admission assessments, care plan reviews |
| Delivering evidence-based care and treatment | Planning and delivering care with people in line with current good practice | Care plans and policies reviewed against current standards |
| How staff and teams work together | Working across teams and services so people only tell their story once | Records of joint working with GPs and community nurses, handover notes |
| Supporting people to live healthier lives | Helping people manage their health and keep their independence | Health action plans, referrals to health services, activity records |
| Monitoring and improving outcomes | Routinely monitoring care and treatment to improve outcomes | Outcome measures (falls, weight, pressure care), audit results with actions |
| Consent to care and treatment | Telling people about their consent rights and respecting them | Consent records, mental capacity assessments, best-interests decisions |
Caring: 5 Quality Statements
Caring means people are treated with kindness, empathy and compassion, their privacy and dignity are respected, and their wishes and choices are taken into account.
| Quality statement | What it means in practice | Example evidence (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| Kindness, compassion and dignity | Treating people with kindness, respect, privacy and dignity | Observation notes, feedback from people and families |
| Treating people as individuals | Care that reflects each person’s needs, culture, strengths and preferences | Person-centred care plans, life histories, recorded preferences |
| Independence, choice and control | Promoting independence and making sure people know their rights and choices | Records of choices offered and people’s involvement in their care |
| Responding to people’s immediate needs | Listening and acting in the moment to reduce discomfort or distress | Call-bell response data, observation of staff responses |
| Workforce wellbeing and enablement | Caring about staff wellbeing and supporting them to give person-centred care | Staff survey results, supervision, wellbeing support |
Responsive: 7 Quality Statements
Responsive means people and communities are at the centre of how care is planned and delivered, care is accessible, and it meets people’s personal circumstances.
| Quality statement | What it means in practice | Example evidence (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| Person centred care | Putting people at the centre of choices and responding to changes in their needs | Care plans updated as needs change, reviews with the person |
| Care provision, integration and continuity | Understanding the needs of the local population and providing joined-up care | Evidence of local needs analysis, links with commissioners |
| Providing information | Giving accurate, accessible and up-to-date information in formats people can use | Accessible information formats, service user guide |
| Listening to and involving people | Making it easy to give feedback and complain, and acting on it | Complaints log, surveys, “you said, we did” records |
| Equity in access | Making sure people can access care fairly without unnecessary barriers | Admissions approach, reasonable adjustments, communication support |
| Equity in experiences and outcomes | Finding and tackling worse experiences for particular groups | Monitoring of outcomes across groups and actions taken |
| Planning for the future | Supporting people to plan ahead for important life changes, including end of life | Advance care plans, end-of-life care records |
Well-led: 8 Quality Statements
Well-led means leadership, management and governance assure delivery of high-quality, person-centred care, support learning and innovation, and promote an open and fair culture.
| Quality statement | What it means in practice | Example evidence (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| Shared direction and culture | A shared vision and strategy built on openness and honesty | Vision and values, staff and family feedback about culture |
| Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders | Leaders with the skills and integrity to lead well | Leadership job descriptions, staff feedback, manager development |
| Freedom to speak up | A culture where staff and people feel safe raising concerns | Whistleblowing policy, speak-up records, staff survey |
| Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion | Valuing a diverse workforce and working towards inclusion | Workforce data, policies, staff feedback |
| Governance, management and sustainability | Clear roles, accountability and governance systems that work | Audit schedule, governance meeting minutes, action logs |
| Partnerships and communities | Working in partnership with other organisations and the community | Partner feedback, community links, joint working records |
| Learning, improvement and innovation | Continuous learning and improvement, beyond compliance | Improvement plans, learning from incidents and audits |
| Environmental sustainability, sustainable development | Understanding and managing the service’s environmental impact | Where relevant, an environmental policy or plan |
The example evidence columns are our suggestions of what a service might hold. They are not a CQC checklist, and what CQC looks at varies by service type.
We Statements and I Statements
We statements are the quality statements themselves, written from the point of view of the provider or system (“We work with people to…”).
I statements are written from the point of view of the person receiving care. CQC developed its quality statements using aspects of the Making It Real framework, co-produced by Think Local Act Personal, and has linked I statements from that framework to each quality statement. It uses them to help people understand what a good experience of care looks and feels like, and to support gathering and assessing evidence under the people’s experience category (CQC: I statements).
The Six Evidence Categories
CQC considers evidence in six categories when it assesses a quality statement: people’s experience of health and care services, feedback from staff and leaders, feedback from partners, observation, processes, and outcomes. Which evidence it uses varies by service type. For example, what CQC has available for a GP practice differs from a home care service, and evidence can be information CQC already holds, such as statutory notifications, or that it actively looks for, such as on an inspection visit (CQC: How we reach a rating). Tagging your own evidence by statement and by category helps you see gaps. See software and the assessment framework.
How Quality Statements Are Scored
CQC gives each quality statement it assesses a score from 1 to 4:
| Score | What it indicates |
|---|---|
| 1 | Evidence shows significant shortfalls |
| 2 | Evidence shows some shortfalls |
| 3 | Evidence shows a good standard |
| 4 | Evidence shows an exceptional standard |
For each key question CQC divides the total of the statement scores by the maximum possible (the number of statements multiplied by 4) to give a percentage, then converts that to a rating: 25 to 38% is inadequate, 39 to 62% requires improvement, 63 to 87% good and 88% and above outstanding. If a key question would be good but any statement scores 1, the rating is limited to requires improvement. If it would be outstanding but any statement scores 1 or 2, it is limited to good (CQC: How we reach a rating). CQC says that since 2 December 2024 it scores at quality statement level only, and no longer scores and reports at evidence category level (CQC: Update to our current scoring approach). For what the ratings mean, see Requires Improvement vs Good.
Which Statements CQC Prioritises in 2026
CQC does not necessarily assess all 34 statements at every visit. Its guidance says it will define priority quality statements for each type of service and typically assess those each time, staying flexible (CQC: How often we assess). In its “returning to good” approach for adult social care services rated Good with an aged rating, CQC says it assesses 18 quality statements (CQC: Returning to good adult social care services):
| Key question | Statements assessed in “returning to good” |
|---|---|
| Safe (6) | Learning culture; Safeguarding; Involving people to manage risks; Safe and effective staffing; Safe environments; Medicines optimisation |
| Effective (4) | Assessing needs; Delivering evidence-based care and treatment; Monitoring and improving outcomes; Consent to care and treatment |
| Caring (2) | Kindness, compassion and dignity; Independence, choice and control |
| Responsive (3) | Person centred care; Listening to and involving people; Equity in experiences and outcomes |
| Well-led (3) | Shared direction and culture; Governance, management and sustainability; Learning, improvement and innovation |
CQC says it expands the assessment to further statements if it finds concerns or outstanding practice. See how often CQC inspects.
Will the Quality Statements Change?
This list may not stay fixed
In March 2026 CQC published draft sector frameworks and said it would replace quality statements with key lines of enquiry and remove scoring. The draft adult social care framework has 24 key lines of enquiry. Pilots ran from June 2026, and CQC’s 27 August 2026 update said it is still testing and will run sector engagement in the autumn. It had not published a final framework or go-live date, so the 34 statements remain the live system today. See CQC’s new assessment framework for 2026.
CQC Quality Statements Template: All 34 in One Tracker
CQC does not publish a provider template for the quality statements, so most people build one. This version has all 34 statement names, as listed in Appendix 1 of CQC’s review of the framework, with columns to complete. Copy it into a spreadsheet. The reference codes (S1, E1 and so on) are ours, for convenience, not CQC’s. Score each statement from 1 to 4 as CQC does (1 significant shortfalls, 2 some shortfalls, 3 good, 4 exceptional) and record dated evidence, the gap, an owner and a due date. See how statements are scored and our mock inspection template for guidance on each statement.
| Ref | Key question | Quality statement | Score 1 to 4 | Evidence (with dates) | Gap | Owner / due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Safe | Learning culture | ||||
| S2 | Safe | Safe systems, pathways and transitions | ||||
| S3 | Safe | Safeguarding | ||||
| S4 | Safe | Involving people to manage risks | ||||
| S5 | Safe | Safe environments | ||||
| S6 | Safe | Safe and effective staffing | ||||
| S7 | Safe | Infection prevention and control | ||||
| S8 | Safe | Medicines optimisation | ||||
| E1 | Effective | Assessing needs | ||||
| E2 | Effective | Delivering evidence-based care and treatment | ||||
| E3 | Effective | How staff and teams work together | ||||
| E4 | Effective | Supporting people to live healthier lives | ||||
| E5 | Effective | Monitoring and improving outcomes | ||||
| E6 | Effective | Consent to care and treatment | ||||
| C1 | Caring | Kindness, compassion and dignity | ||||
| C2 | Caring | Treating people as individuals | ||||
| C3 | Caring | Independence, choice and control | ||||
| C4 | Caring | Responding to people’s immediate needs | ||||
| C5 | Caring | Workforce wellbeing and enablement | ||||
| R1 | Responsive | Person-centred care | ||||
| R2 | Responsive | Care provision, integration and continuity | ||||
| R3 | Responsive | Providing information | ||||
| R4 | Responsive | Listening to and involving people | ||||
| R5 | Responsive | Equity in access | ||||
| R6 | Responsive | Equity in experiences and outcomes | ||||
| R7 | Responsive | Planning for the future | ||||
| W1 | Well-led | Shared direction and culture | ||||
| W2 | Well-led | Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders | ||||
| W3 | Well-led | Freedom to speak up | ||||
| W4 | Well-led | Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion | ||||
| W5 | Well-led | Governance, management and sustainability | ||||
| W6 | Well-led | Partnerships and communities | ||||
| W7 | Well-led | Learning, improvement and innovation | ||||
| W8 | Well-led | Environmental sustainability and sustainable development |
Tips for using it: score from evidence you could show today, not from policies; fill the evidence column with dated records, observations and what people say; and re-score on a schedule such as quarterly. CQC says it is developing new frameworks in which key lines of enquiry will replace quality statements (what is changing), so keep your evidence organised by key question and regulation as well. For a quick readiness check see the self-assessment template.
Using the Statements Day to Day
Keep evidence organised by key question and statement, so you can find what supports each one and see gaps before an inspector does. A simple approach is one evidence list per statement, with owner, review date and location of records, reviewed at your governance meeting. See how to prepare for a CQC inspection and the CQC glossary.
Turn findings into actions
CQCLogic organises improvement plan actions by CQC’s key questions and quality statements, with owners, deadlines and evidence tracked against each action. Enter your Location ID to get started free, or view a sample improvement plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CQC quality statements are there?
There are 34 quality statements: 8 under Safe, 6 under Effective, 5 under Caring, 7 under Responsive and 8 under Well-led.
What are the 5 CQC key questions?
CQC asks whether a service is safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led. Each key question has a set of quality statements under it.
What is a CQC “we” statement?
Quality statements are written as “we statements”: commitments that providers, commissioners and system leaders should live up to, such as working with people and partners to keep care safe.
What is the difference between “we” and “I” statements?
We statements are the quality statements from the provider’s point of view. I statements are from the person’s point of view, come from the Making It Real framework, and are linked to each quality statement to describe what a good experience of care looks like.
How are CQC quality statements scored?
CQC scores each statement it assesses from 1 to 4, then converts the total for a key question to a percentage and a rating: 25 to 38% inadequate, 39 to 62% requires improvement, 63 to 87% good and 88% and above outstanding, with limits if any statement scores low.
Are quality statements replacing KLOEs, or the other way round?
Quality statements replaced KLOEs from late 2023. CQC has since said it plans to replace quality statements with key lines of enquiry in new sector frameworks and remove scoring, but had not set a go-live date at its 27 August 2026 update.
Does CQC assess all 34 quality statements at every inspection?
Not necessarily. CQC says it defines priority quality statements for each service type and typically assesses those, staying flexible. Its “returning to good” approach for adult social care assesses 18.
Where can I find the official list of CQC quality statements?
CQC publishes them in its assessment framework pages for each key question, and the full set in Appendix 1 of its review of the single assessment framework.
Is there a CQC quality statements template?
CQC does not publish a provider template. You can build one with a row for each of the 34 quality statements and columns for score, dated evidence, gaps, owner and due date. This page includes a ready-to-copy version.
What are the 34 CQC quality statements?
Eight under Safe (such as learning culture, safeguarding and medicines optimisation), six under Effective, five under Caring, seven under Responsive and eight under Well-led (such as freedom to speak up and governance, management and sustainability). The full list is on this page and in CQC’s published Appendix 1.
What are the 5 standards of CQC?
CQC does not have five standards. It has fundamental standards in the regulations and five key questions: is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The 34 quality statements sit under those five key questions.
Can you provide some examples of CQC quality statements?
Yes. For example, under Safe: “Medicines optimisation”; under Caring: “Kindness, compassion and dignity”; under Responsive: “Person-centred care”; under Well-led: “Freedom to speak up”. See the full list on this page.
Sources: CQC: Assessment framework · CQC: Appendix 1, the 34 quality statements · CQC: How we reach a rating · CQC: Update to our current scoring approach · CQC: Returning to good adult social care services