CQC Statement of Purpose: What to Include, the 4 Parts and When to Update It
What CQC’s own guidance says a statement of purpose must contain, its four-part template structure, when the law requires you to update it, and how to write the aims and objectives section well.
A CQC statement of purpose is the legal document, required under Regulation 12 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, that tells CQC in your own words what you do, where you do it and who your service is for. It must contain the information in Schedule 3 of the regulations: your business details, your aims and objectives, details of each location, and details of each registered manager. You must keep it under review and give CQC written details of any revision within 28 days.
A statement of purpose is one of the few documents CQC checks against what it actually finds on the day, and Regulation 12 is one of the small number of regulations CQC can prosecute for without a warning notice first. This guide follows CQC’s own statement of purpose guidance and its four-part template, so what you write matches what CQC actually asks for.
Key takeaways
- CQC’s own template has four parts: about the provider, aims and objectives, about each location, and registered managers.
- You must record specific detail per location, including service user bands and the manager responsible, and per manager, including which locations and what percentage of time.
- You must notify CQC in writing of any revision within 28 days, using its notification form and a copy of the updated statement.
- CQC can prosecute for a breach of Regulation 12 without a warning notice, and must refuse registration if you cannot satisfy it that you will comply.
- Specialist services for autistic people and people with a learning disability must also show how people can access and use the statement of purpose.
In this guide
What Is a CQC Statement of Purpose?
CQC says your statement of purpose is where you tell it, in your own words, what you do, where you do it and who your service is for. All registered providers must have an accurate, up-to-date one, and it is a legal requirement under Regulation 12 (CQC: Statement of purpose). It is submitted with your registration application and remains a live record for as long as you are registered, so treat it as a working document, not a one-off form.
CQC’s Four-Part Structure
CQC publishes downloadable templates in four parts, and if you use them you copy and paste all four into one document before submitting (CQC):
| Part | What it records |
|---|---|
| Part 1: About the provider | Business name, legal status (sole trader, partnership or organisation), business address, telephone and email, an address for serving notices, and the names of any partners |
| Part 2: Aims and objectives | Your aims and objectives in providing the regulated activities at the locations you operate |
| Part 3: About the location | One per location: address and contact details, a description of the location (including any other use, such as whether it is a domestic dwelling), the type of service, the service user bands it meets, the regulated activities provided there, and the registered manager for that location |
| Part 4: Registered managers | One per manager: full name and contact details, the address for serving notices, which locations they manage and what percentage of time at each, which regulated activities they manage, and any job share arrangements |
This maps onto Schedule 3 of the Registration Regulations, which lists the underlying legal categories: aims and objectives, the kinds of services and range of needs met, provider and manager details, legal status, and location details (legislation.gov.uk: Schedule 3). Providers with several locations typically hold one statement of purpose with a Part 3 for each site, and a Part 4 for each manager, rather than a separate document per location.
When You Must Send or Update It
- New registration: send it with your application forms, registered manager forms and other supporting documents.
- Varying your registration: send CQC a copy of your proposed statement of purpose with the application, per CQC’s Regulation 12 guidance.
- Any change that affects it: CQC gives examples including changing the specialist services you provide, service user bands changing, a new registered manager, or a change to your business address. See changing a registered manager.
Regulation 12 requires you to keep the statement under review and give CQC written details of any revision within 28 days of making the change. CQC’s process is: use your existing statement, update it with the new information, notify CQC of the change and email a copy of the updated statement with the notification, using the “Changes to your statement of purpose” notification form, then keep it in a safe place (CQC: Changes to your statement of purpose, notification form). CQC updates your registration details once it has processed the notification, and you do not need to take further action after that.
Why this regulation carries extra weight
CQC can prosecute for a breach of Regulation 12, or a breach of part of it, without first serving a warning notice, and it must refuse registration if you cannot satisfy it that you can and will continue to comply. Treat a stale statement of purpose as a live compliance risk, not routine paperwork (CQC: Regulation 12).
How to Write Each Section Well
Aims and objectives
This is where the most generic writing tends to appear.
Weak vs specific
Weak: “We aim to provide good quality care to our residents.” Specific: “We aim to provide person-centred residential dementia care that supports each resident’s independence, dignity and individual routines, delivered by a consistent staff team trained to nationally recognised dementia care standards.” The specific version names the service user group, the care approach and how it is delivered, all things an inspector can test against what they see.
Location details and service user bands
Be precise about what CQC calls your service user bands for each location, and match your actual admissions and current residents. A common inspection finding is a statement describing one service user group while the service’s actual mix has drifted, for example being registered for older people but having become a de facto dementia specialist unit.
Provider and manager details
These are administrative but easy to get wrong: out-of-date contact details, an old registered manager’s name, or a missing job-share arrangement are all avoidable findings. If you need to check your location details on CQC’s system, see where to find your CQC Location ID.
Autistic people and people with a learning disability
If you plan to be a specialist service for this group, CQC’s supporting-documents guidance says you must show how you considered their needs, including what you have done to make sure people can access and use the statement of purpose itself (CQC: Statement of purpose, supporting documents guidance). See Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.
Common Mistakes Found at Inspection
- Vague aims that could describe any care service, not yours specifically.
- A mismatch between the stated service user bands and who you actually support.
- Not notifying CQC within 28 days of a real change.
- Copy-pasted template wording that does not reflect how the service actually operates.
- Inconsistency with your other CQC-facing documents, including your Provider Information Return. See the CQC PIR explained.
- Missing a registered manager’s job-share arrangement, or the percentage of time they spend at each location.
Its Role in Registration
Your statement of purpose is assessed as part of your application, alongside a Fit Person Interview, Site Visit Assessment or Nominated Individual Discussion where CQC arranges one (CQC: Register as a provider). See how to register with CQC for the wider process.
Free CQC Statement of Purpose generator
CQCLogic’s free generator walks you through all four CQC template sections, drafts your aims and objectives based on your service type and service user bands, and gives you an editable draft to download, free and with no account required. Draft your statement of purpose free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a CQC statement of purpose a legal requirement?
Yes. Regulation 12 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 requires every registered provider to give CQC a statement of purpose containing the Schedule 3 information, and CQC can prosecute for a breach of this regulation without first issuing a warning notice.
What are the 4 parts of the CQC statement of purpose template?
Part 1: about the provider (business and legal details). Part 2: aims and objectives. Part 3: about each location (address, service type, service user bands, regulated activities, manager). Part 4: about each registered manager (contact details, locations managed, time split, job shares).
How often does a statement of purpose need to be reviewed?
There is no fixed annual date in law, but Regulation 12 requires you to keep it under review and give CQC written details of any revision within 28 days of making the change. Review it whenever your service, activities, service user bands, manager or address change.
What happens if I do not update it in time?
An out-of-date statement of purpose is a compliance breach in its own right. It is also a common inspection finding, and CQC can move directly to prosecution for a Regulation 12 breach without a warning notice first.
Do I need a separate statement of purpose for each location?
Schedule 3 requires details of each location where the regulated activity is carried on, but providers typically keep one statement of purpose with a Part 3 completed for each location and a Part 4 for each registered manager, rather than a wholly separate document per site.
Can CQC refuse registration because of my statement of purpose?
Yes. It is assessed as part of your registration application, and CQC must refuse registration if it is not satisfied that you can and will continue to comply with Regulation 12.
How do I notify CQC of a change to my statement of purpose?
Update your existing statement, then use CQC’s “Changes to your statement of purpose” notification form and email a copy of the updated statement within 28 days. CQC updates your registration once it has processed the notification.
What extra do I need if my service supports autistic people or people with a learning disability?
CQC’s guidance says you must show how you considered their needs, including what you have done to make sure people can access and use the statement of purpose itself.
Sources: CQC: Regulation 12, statement of purpose · CQC: Statement of purpose · CQC: Statement of purpose, supporting documents guidance · CQC: Changes to your statement of purpose, notification form · legislation.gov.uk: Schedule 3