CQC Requires Improvement: What It Means, What Happens Next and How to Get Back to Good (2026)
What the rating means, how a service gets it, what CQC does next (including what happens if you are rated Requires Improvement more than once), and a 90-day plan back to Good. For providers and for families.
A CQC “Requires Improvement” rating means the service is not performing as well as it should: inspectors found shortfalls, often breaches of regulations, that must be fixed, but not the serious failings that lead to Inadequate. It sits between Good and Inadequate. Overall it is normally given when two or more of the five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led) are rated Requires Improvement. It does not by itself trigger special measures, but CQC may ask for an action plan, and repeated Requires Improvement ratings can lead to a breach of Regulation 17 (good governance) and a requirement to produce an improvement action plan.
If you have found this page because a service has just been rated Requires Improvement, whether you manage it, own it or have a relative there, this guide explains the rating in full: what it means, how it is calculated under CQC’s current Single Assessment Framework, what CQC does next, what happens if the rating is repeated, and how services move up to Good. For the improvement work itself see our complete guide to improving your CQC rating and From Requires Improvement to Good. Where something is our suggestion rather than CQC’s rule, we say so.
Key takeaways
- Requires improvement means shortfalls to fix, not the serious failings behind Inadequate. Under current scoring a key question at 39% to 62% is rated Requires improvement.
- Two or more Requires improvement key questions normally give an overall Requires improvement. One alone can still leave you rated Good.
- It does not by itself trigger special measures.
- CQC’s guidance says a repeated Requires Improvement rating may constitute a breach of Regulation 17, and CQC may require an improvement action plan within 28 days.
- Re-inspection timing is risk-based. Around 12 months is typical, but CQC is also prioritising urgent-risk services and ratings over six years old.
- CQC plans a new assessment approach later in 2026. The evidence-based way to reach Good is the same under either.
In this guide
- What does Requires Improvement mean?
- How a service ends up rated Requires Improvement
- Is CQC changing how ratings work?
- Requires Improvement vs Good vs Inadequate
- Common reasons for a Requires Improvement rating
- What happens immediately after a Requires Improvement rating?
- What happens if you are rated Requires Improvement more than once?
- What to fix by key question
- Will CQC re-inspect, and when?
- Can a service keep operating with a Requires Improvement rating?
- What to tell staff, families and commissioners
- For families: what Requires Improvement means for your relative
- For providers: moving from Requires Improvement to Good
- Your first 90 days after a Requires Improvement rating
- Sources and how this was checked
- Frequently asked questions
What does Requires Improvement mean?
CQC rates services on four levels: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Requires improvement sits in the middle-to-lower half. It tells the public that the service is not yet meeting the standard CQC expects and that CQC has told the provider what must improve.
It is a formal regulatory judgement, not an informal criticism. The inspection report will explain which key questions fell short and, where relevant, which regulations were breached. Importantly, Requires Improvement is not Inadequate: it does not mean people are at serious risk, and it does not by itself place a service in special measures.
How a service ends up rated Requires Improvement
Under the approach CQC has applied since 2 December 2024, each quality statement is scored from 1 to 4, those scores are turned into a percentage for each of the five key questions, and the key question ratings are then combined into an overall rating. A key question is rated Requires improvement when its score falls between 39% and 62%.
| Route | What happens |
|---|---|
| Two or more key questions rated Requires improvement | CQC’s rating principles say the overall rating will normally be Requires improvement |
| One key question Inadequate | The overall rating will normally not be Good, because Good normally needs no Inadequate key question |
| A “score of 1” cap | If a key question scores in the Good range but any quality statement in it scores 1, the key question is capped at Requires improvement |
Note the reverse too: a service with just one key question rated Requires improvement and none Inadequate can still be rated Good overall. The full rules are on CQC’s How we reach a rating page, and our guide to improving your CQC rating walks through the maths.
Is CQC changing how ratings work?
CQC is preparing a new assessment approach. Its draft sector frameworks, published on 24 March 2026, replace quality statements with key lines of enquiry and add rating characteristics for each key question, and CQC has said it will remove scoring. On 26 May 2026 it said it would implement the new approach later this year, and that current guidance applies until then. The score bands in this guide describe today’s approach, but the five key questions remain, and the advice on fixing root causes and proving change with dated evidence holds either way. Pilots run June to October 2026 and no go-live date is confirmed. See our guide to CQC’s new assessment framework for 2026.
Requires Improvement vs Good vs Inadequate
| Rating | What it signals | Key question score | Special measures? | Typical follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Performing well and meeting expectations | 63% to 87% | No | Longest windows, risk-based |
| Requires improvement | Shortfalls to fix, breaches possible | 39% to 62% | Not by itself | Around 12 months, sooner if concerns arise |
| Inadequate | Serious failings, enforcement action likely | 25% to 38% | Yes, if overall Inadequate | Re-inspection within six months in special measures |
For the practical differences in detail, see what separates Requires Improvement from a Good CQC rating and what a CQC Inadequate rating means.
Common reasons for a Requires Improvement rating
Every report is different, but the same regulations come up repeatedly in Requires Improvement ratings for care services:
- Regulation 12, safe care and treatment: medicines management, risk assessments, infection control
- Regulation 17, good governance: audits that do not find or fix problems, incomplete records, no learning loop
- Regulation 18, staffing: too few staff, training gaps, missed supervision
- Regulation 9, person-centred care: generic care plans that do not reflect the individual
- Regulation 16, complaints: complaints not recorded, investigated or learned from
- Regulation 19, fit and proper persons employed: incomplete recruitment checks
Governance under Regulation 17 is the thread running through many of these, because weak oversight is why other problems go unnoticed.
What happens immediately after a Requires Improvement rating?
- Before publication, you check the draft. CQC sends a draft report and you have 10 working days to point out factual inaccuracies. It is for correcting facts, not for arguing judgements. See the factual accuracy check.
- The report is published. The rating appears on CQC’s website and in its provider search, where commissioners, families and prospective staff can see it.
- CQC may set out breaches. Where regulations were breached, CQC can issue an Action Plan request (previously called a requirement notice), which asks you to report how and by when you will comply. More serious breaches can bring a Warning Notice; see how to respond to a CQC Warning Notice.
- You must display the rating. Under Regulation 20A providers must display their most recent CQC rating at the service and on their website.
- Commissioners may review contracts. Local authorities and NHS commissioners often look closely at services below Good.
- CQC monitors the service. Notifications, complaints and whistleblowing continue to feed into how CQC views risk. Our list of CQC notifiable events shows what you must report.
What happens if you are rated Requires Improvement more than once?
CQC’s guidance on services repeatedly rated requires improvement (last updated 14 May 2025, and marked by CQC as under review, so check the current version) says that for services rated Requires Improvement on one or more occasions, CQC will take proportionate action to encourage prompt improvement to Good. Depending on the risks and the circumstances, inspectors may:
| Step | What CQC says it may do |
|---|---|
| First rating of Requires Improvement | Write to the provider to say that subsequent Requires Improvement ratings may constitute a breach of Regulation 17 (good governance), and suggest sources of help. The letter is copied to the lead commissioner where appropriate |
| Where there is a breach of regulations | Consider proportionate enforcement action under its published enforcement policy |
| Improvement action plan | Ask the provider to complete and return, within 28 days, an improvement action plan showing how and by when it will improve to at least Good. This is requested under Regulation 17(3) |
| Meeting | Request a meeting with the provider, registered manager and commissioner to discuss concerns, improvements needed and available support, followed by a letter confirming what was agreed |
This is why a second Requires Improvement matters more than the first: it can turn a quality problem into a governance breach. CQC’s separate enforcement page explains that an Action Plan request is not an enforcement action but notifies the provider that CQC considers it to be in breach, and that failing to send the requested report within the timescale is an offence (CQC: protecting people by requiring improvement). See what an Action Plan request is and how to respond.
What to fix by key question
Use the report’s findings, then check these areas (our suggestions):
| Key question | What often sits behind a Requires Improvement | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Safe | Medicines errors, out-of-date risk assessments, unsafe staffing, infection control gaps, safeguarding not escalated | Fix any risk to people today; audit medicines and risk assessments; review staffing against dependency |
| Effective | Training and supervision gaps, MCA and consent not recorded, poor nutrition and hydration monitoring, weak induction | Update the training matrix, restart supervision, audit consent and capacity records |
| Caring | Task-focused care, dignity lapses, people not involved in decisions | Observe practice, seek feedback from people and families, coach staff |
| Responsive | Generic care plans, complaints not learned from, little activity or choice | Audit care plans with the person, review the complaints log for learning |
| Well-led | Audits that do not find problems, no action log, leaders not visible, no learning loop | Start a governance meeting with minutes; assign owners and dates; evidence closure |
Will CQC re-inspect, and when?
There is no fixed statutory date. CQC’s assessment approach is now risk-driven, so the timing depends on the evidence CQC holds about your service. In practice, around 12 months after a Requires Improvement rating was the historic aim under the old CQC model, but a spike in complaints, safeguarding concerns or whistleblowing can bring an assessment forward, and a quiet, well-evidenced service may wait longer. Do not assume you have a full year to act.
What matters is being ready at any point. See how often does CQC inspect for timelines by rating and what happens at reinspection for what inspectors check.
CQC’s 26 May 2026 update also says that, in adult social care, it is prioritising services where inspection teams have identified urgent or emerging risks, services that have never been assessed, and services with ratings more than six years old. A recent poor rating is not the only thing that decides when CQC returns.
Can a service keep operating with a Requires Improvement rating?
Yes. Requires Improvement does not restrict a service’s ability to operate, and it does not trigger special measures. The exception is if the service is also rated Inadequate in any key question. Where an Inadequate key question remains at the next inspection, the service can enter special measures; see CQC special measures: what it means and how to exit it. Enforcement action can still be taken at any rating if CQC finds serious breaches.
What to tell staff, families and commissioners
Agree the message before the report is public (our suggestion):
- Staff: what the report found, what you are changing, what is expected of them, and that raising concerns is welcome.
- People and families: a short, honest summary, where to read the report, what is being done and who to speak to.
- Commissioners: your improvement plan, owners and dates, and regular progress updates. CQC may copy them in on its own letters.
For families: what Requires Improvement means for your relative
A Requires Improvement rating is a reason to look closely, not necessarily a reason to move someone. To decide what it means for your relative:
- Read the full report, not just the headline rating. Look at which key questions fell short.
- Pay most attention to Safe. A Requires Improvement in Safe matters more for day-to-day wellbeing than one in another area.
- Ask the manager what has changed since the inspection and to see the improvement plan.
- Visit at different times, including evenings and weekends, and speak to staff and other families.
- Check whether the trend is improving, for example whether earlier reports were better or worse.
For providers: moving from Requires Improvement to Good
Most of the work is the same regardless of the specific breaches: find the quality statements dragging your scores down, fix the root causes, and prove it with dated evidence.
- Map every finding to a key question, quality statement and regulation.
- Find and remove any quality statement scored 1, because one can cap a whole key question.
- Fix governance first: audits, action and re-audit, with minutes.
- Bring staffing, training and supervision up to standard.
- Build an evidence portfolio across CQC’s six evidence categories.
Our Requires Improvement to Good guide gives the domain-by-domain checklist, and the complete improvement guide covers the full method. If you want the plan built for you, CQCLogic generates an improvement plan from your inspection data within 24 hours: view a sample plan or get started free.
Your first 90 days after a Requires Improvement rating
You may have longer than 90 days before CQC returns, but the first three months set the trend that inspectors will see.
| Days | Focus | What to have on file |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 30 | Make governance visible: name an owner, log every finding against a key question and regulation, start weekly meetings with minutes, fix any safety issue immediately | Findings log, improvement plan with owners and deadlines, meeting minutes |
| 31 to 60 | Close the loop: audit, act, re-audit. Bring supervision and training up to date | Completed audits and re-audits, training matrix, supervision records |
| 61 to 90 | Connect the evidence: index it by key question and add feedback from people and staff. Run a mock inspection | Indexed evidence file, feedback logs, mock inspection findings |
Our mock inspection questions and action plan template cover the last two stages.
Sources and how this was checked
- CQC: Services repeatedly rated requires improvement (page last updated 14 May 2025; CQC says it is under review).
- CQC: Protecting people using services by requiring improvement.
- CQC: How we reach a rating; Special measures for adult social care; March 2026 update (draft frameworks); Priorities update, 26 May 2026.
Read 25 October 2026. The key question table, communication list and 90-day plan are our suggestions, not CQC requirements.
Turn the report into an improvement plan in 24 hours
CQCLogic builds a framework-mapped improvement plan from your inspection data, tracks owners, dates and evidence, and keeps your records ready for re-inspection. It does not submit anything to CQC. See a sample improvement plan, view pricing or get started free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Requires Improvement rating mean for CQC?
It means CQC found the service is not performing as well as it should and has told the provider what must improve. It sits below Good and above Inadequate. It usually reflects shortfalls or regulatory breaches, but not the serious failings that lead to an Inadequate rating.
What happens if you get a Requires Improvement rating from CQC?
The report is published and CQC may set out breaches or issue an Action Plan request (previously called a requirement notice). You must display the rating at the service and on your website, commissioners may review contracts, and CQC keeps monitoring risk. Re-inspection timing is risk-based, with no fixed cycle, and it does not by itself trigger special measures.
What happens if a service is rated Requires Improvement twice?
CQC’s guidance says subsequent Requires Improvement ratings may constitute a breach of Regulation 17 (good governance). CQC may consider enforcement, ask for an improvement action plan within 28 days under Regulation 17(3), and request a meeting with the provider, registered manager and commissioner. CQC marks that guidance as under review, so check the current version.
Is Requires Improvement a fail?
CQC does not use pass or fail, but Requires Improvement means the service is not yet meeting the standard expected. It is a warning that improvement is needed and that follow-up action may come, though it is less serious than Inadequate and does not by itself place a service in special measures.
What is the difference between Requires Improvement and Inadequate?
Requires Improvement means shortfalls need fixing. Inadequate means serious failings that put people at risk, usually with enforcement action and special measures. Under CQC scoring, a key question scoring 39% to 62% is Requires improvement, while 25% to 38% is Inadequate.
What happens if you get Inadequate from CQC?
The service is placed in special measures with closer monitoring and a time-limited chance to improve, and enforcement action is likely. See our guide to what an Inadequate rating means.
What are the 5 CQC requirements?
CQC assesses five key questions rather than five requirements: is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Each is rated, and the ratings combine into the overall rating. The legal requirements are the fundamental standards, which CQC lists as 14.
How long until CQC re-inspects after Requires Improvement?
There is no fixed date. Around 12 months is typical, but CQC’s approach is risk-driven, so complaints, notifications or whistleblowing can bring an assessment forward. Providers should be ready at any time rather than assuming a full year.
Can Requires Improvement lead to special measures?
Not by itself. Special measures applies to services rated Inadequate overall, or where a key question remains Inadequate at a follow-up inspection. A service rated Requires Improvement can still face enforcement action if inspectors find serious breaches.
Do I have to display a Requires Improvement rating?
Yes. Under Regulation 20A, registered providers must display their most recent CQC rating at each location and on their website, whatever the rating is.
Can I challenge a Requires Improvement rating?
You can challenge factual inaccuracies in the draft report within 10 working days, and CQC has a rating review process on limited grounds about how a rating was reached rather than simple disagreement. Formal enforcement decisions have separate routes; see our guide to appealing a CQC decision.
Is it safe to place a relative in a home rated Requires Improvement?
Not automatically unsafe, but look closely. Read the full report, check which key questions fell short (Safe matters most), ask the manager what has changed and visit at different times of day. Many services improve, so trend and leadership matter as much as the rating.
Is CQC changing how ratings work in 2026?
Yes. CQC has said it will replace quality statements with key lines of enquiry, remove numerical scoring and add sector-specific frameworks with rating characteristics for each key question. On 26 May 2026 it said the new approach would be implemented later this year, and that current guidance applies until then. The improvement method is the same under either approach.