What Is the Care Quality Commission (CQC)? What It Does and What It Means for Your Service
A plain guide to England’s health and adult social care regulator: its role, how it registers, assesses and rates services, its powers and what providers need to do.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. It registers care providers, monitors, inspects and rates services, takes action to protect people who use services, and speaks with an independent voice on major quality issues. Providers must be registered with CQC to carry out regulated activities, and must meet the fundamental standards.
If you are new to care, or thinking about setting up a service, “CQC” comes up constantly. This guide explains what the organisation is, what it does, how it judges services and what that means for a provider day to day. It sticks to what CQC says about itself and links to practical guides for each area.
Key takeaways
- CQC is the independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England.
- Its regulatory role: register providers, monitor, inspect and rate services, take action to protect people and publish its views on quality.
- Providers must register and meet the fundamental standards set by the 2014 Regulations.
- CQC rates services Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate and can take enforcement action.
- CQC is rebuilding its assessment approach, so providers should follow its current guidance and watch for updates.
In this guide
Who CQC Is
CQC’s own description: “CQC is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.” Its stated purpose is to regulate health and adult social care, working with the public, systems and providers to protect people and to promote and improve the quality of care. Its vision is that “everyone receives safe, effective and compassionate care” (CQC: About us). It regulates services in England only: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.
What CQC Does
| Role | What it means for providers |
|---|---|
| Register care providers | You must register before carrying on regulated activities. See how to register with CQC |
| Monitor, inspect and rate services | CQC assesses services and publishes ratings and reports. See how often CQC inspects |
| Take action to protect people | From Action Plan requests to Warning Notices and prosecution. See enforcement action |
| Speak with an independent voice | Publishing views on major quality issues, such as its State of Care reports |
The Standards CQC Enforces
CQC enforces the fundamental standards, the standards below which care must never fall, set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. They include person-centred care, dignity and respect, consent, safety, safeguarding, complaints, good governance, staffing and duty of candour. See all 14 explained.
How CQC Judges and Rates Services
CQC assesses services against five key questions: are they Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led, and gives ratings of Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate. Our guides explain the difference between ratings, KLOEs and quality statements. CQC is currently developing a new assessment framework. See what is changing.
CQC and Other Bodies: Who Does What
CQC is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care and regulates health and social care services in England. People often mix it up with other organisations:
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| CQC | Registers, inspects and rates health and adult social care providers in England and takes regulatory action. It does not settle individual complaints |
| Local council | Commissions care, runs adult safeguarding enquiries and handles complaints about its own services |
| Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman | Investigates complaints about councils and care providers once the provider has had a chance to respond |
| Local Healthwatch | Independent voice for people locally; CQC works with local Healthwatch groups |
| Care Inspectorate Wales and the Care Inspectorate (Scotland) | The regulators for care services in Wales and Scotland; CQC covers England only |
To raise a concern about a service, see how to complain about a care home and whistleblowing to CQC.
What It Means for a Provider
- Register and keep your registration details up to date, including your registered manager. See changing your registered manager.
- Meet the fundamental standards and be able to evidence it. See how to prepare for inspection.
- Notify CQC of certain events. See notifiable events.
- Display your rating in the service and on your website.
- Respond to reports, Action Plan requests (previously called requirement notices) and enforcement. See what happens if you fail an inspection.
For terms you may meet, see our CQC glossary.
Keeping Track of What CQC Expects
CQCLogic helps providers turn an inspection report into a structured improvement plan and run the routine that shows CQC you are meeting the standards: audits, actions with evidence, governance meetings and logs. It is a compliance platform for your own service, and does not replace advice from CQC.
Turn CQC expectations into a tracked plan
See a sample improvement plan, view pricing or get started free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Care Quality Commission?
The independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. It registers providers, inspects and rates services, takes action to protect people and publishes its views on quality.
What does CQC stand for?
Care Quality Commission.
What does CQC do?
It registers care providers, monitors, inspects and rates services, takes action to protect people who use services and speaks with an independent voice on major quality issues.
Does CQC regulate care in Wales and Scotland?
No. CQC regulates services in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate regulators.
What ratings does CQC give?
Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate.
Do I have to register with CQC?
If you carry on regulated activities in England, such as providing personal care or accommodation with nursing or personal care, you must register. See how to register with CQC.
What does CQC stand for?
Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.
What are the 5 standards of CQC?
CQC does not have five standards. It has fundamental standards in the regulations and uses five key questions to assess services: is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
What are the 6 C’s in CQC?
The 6 Cs (care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment) come from NHS England’s nursing and care strategy, not from CQC. CQC assesses services against its five key questions and the fundamental standards.
How do I complain to the CQC?
CQC does not settle individual complaints. Complain to the provider first. You can give feedback to CQC through its give feedback on care form, which it uses to monitor services and plan assessments. See our guide to complaining about a care home.
Is CQC part of the government?
CQC is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care, with its own board, and it describes itself as the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.
Sources: CQC: About us · CQC: The fundamental standards of care