Caring · KLOE 2

Person-centred care

Is care and treatment delivered in a person-centred way?

CQC wording, primary care and community services draft V6.0, pages 32 to 33.

Draft, not the current assessment framework

CQC's primary care and community services draft V6.0, published March 2026. The current quality statements remain in use.

CQC draft scope

What this proposed KLOE covers

Scope of this key line of enquiry and topic areas include:

The draft applies one framework across primary care and community services, but useful evidence depends on your service and people.

Source: CQC, Primary care and community services assessment framework, draft V6.0, 19 March 2026, pages 32 to 33. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

CQC draft rating characteristics

These are CQC's draft characteristics. CQC says rating characteristics guide judgements, they are not a mechanical checklist.

There is a strong, visible, person-centred culture. People’s individual needs and preferences are at the heart of the service.
Staff recognise and respect the totality of people’s needs. They always take people’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs into account, and find innovative ways to meet them.
There is a proactive approach to understanding the needs and preferences of different groups of people. Care is delivered in a way that meets these needs, is accessible and promotes equality. This includes care for people with protected equality characteristics, those approaching the end of their life, and those in vulnerable circumstances or who have complex needs.
Technology is used innovatively to deliver individualised, person-centred care.

People receive appropriate and personalised care and treatment as the service makes reasonable adjustments where necessary.
Staff treat people as individuals, considering any relevant protected equality characteristics. They make sure they understand and meet people's personal, cultural, social and religious needs.
People's communication needs are met to enable them to engage in decisions about their care and treatment, to enhance both their experience and outcomes.
People’s choices about their care and support are respected.
People are supported to understand their rights and their understanding is reviewed throughout their care and treatment.
The service makes sure that technology used to deliver care, treatment and support appropriately meets people’s individual needs.

The service is not delivered in a way that focuses on people’s needs.
People’s emotional, social, cultural or religious needs are not always viewed as important or reflected in their care, treatment and support.
There is some flexibility to take account of individual needs as they arise, but the service does not meet the needs of all the people who use it.
People's communication needs are not always met, preventing them from engaging fully in decisions about their care and treatment.
Staff do not always have time to support people understand their rights or ensure that their understanding is consistent throughout their care and treatment.
The service does not always make sure that the technology used to deliver care meets people’s needs appropriately.

Staff have a poor understanding of the needs and preferences of the different groups of people who use the service. The service is planned and delivered without consideration of people’s needs or preferences.
People's communication needs are not considered, preventing them from engaging in decisions about their care and treatment.
People are not supported to understand their rights throughout their care and treatment.
The service does not consider whether the technology used to deliver care meets people’s needs appropriately.

Book a mock inspection run against the draft KLOEs, or call 020 8090 5346 to speak to one of our experts.