Effective · KLOE 1

Assessing needs

Are people's needs holistically assessed and reviewed with them to maximise the effectiveness of their care, treatment and support?

CQC wording, primary care and community services draft V6.0, pages 19 to 21.

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 19 to 21. 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.

People are actively involved in the assessment of their individual needs, including cultural needs. They are supported to maximise their participation and ensure their preferences, strengths and aspirations are recognised. People are confident that their individual needs have been appropriately assessed, fully understood and embedded in care planning, creating a sense of trust and belonging.
The service demonstrates a commitment to equity and inclusion. Care plans proactively address inequalities or vulnerabilities that may result in exclusion.
People’s needs, emotions and levels of distress are anticipated, and staff have a compassionate and person-centred approach to preventing deterioration or escalation.
Staff establish a genuine connection with those they care for and demonstrate real curiosity about what matters to them when assessments are reviewed and updated. Outcomes and experiences for people who use services are consistently excellent and improving.
Risk assessments about care are person-centred, proportionate and when regularly reviewed with the person or their representative, people feel psychological safety and empowerment.

People are involved in the assessment of their individual needs. They are confident their needs have been assessed and fully understood, and support is provided to maximise their involvement.
Care plans reflect people’s physical, mental, emotional, cultural and social needs, including those related to protected equality characteristics.
People’s needs, emotions and level of distress are assessed using a range of assessment tools to ensure they are reflected and understood.
Care assessments, including remote or online consultations, consider people’s diverse needs, including those related to communication needs, nutrition, hydration and pain relief.
Assessments are up-to-date and staff understand people’s current needs. People’s care needs are routinely reviewed.
Unpaid carers and advocates are supported to be active partners in people’s care.
Risk assessments about care are person-centred, proportionate, and regularly reviewed with the person, or their representative.

People are not consistently involved, or supported to be involved, in the assessment of their needs. They are not confident or do not consistently understand whether their individual needs have been appropriately assessed.
Care plans do not consistently reflect people’s holistic needs.
Care assessments, including remote or online consultations, do not consider the full range of people’s diverse needs, including those related to communication needs, nutrition, hydration and pain relief.
People’s needs, emotions or levels of distress are not consistently or routinely assessed, or there are no tools available to support staff to understand and reflect them.
Assessments are not consistently up-to-date, or there are delays in completing them. People’s care needs are not routinely reviewed, where appropriate.
Unpaid carers and advocates receive limited support to be partners in people’s care.
Risk assessments about care are not consistently person-centred or proportionate. They may not be regularly reviewed with the person, or their representative.

People are not routinely involved in the assessment of their needs, or they are assessed in a way they do not understand.
Care plans do not reflect people’s diverse needs. Discriminatory decisions may have been made related to protected equality characteristics.
Care or treatment, including remote or online consultations, may be based on discriminatory decisions rather than a full assessment of a person’s needs, including those related to communication needs, nutrition, hydration and pain relief.
People’s needs, emotions or levels of distress are not included in their needs assessment. Staff do not have tools available to support them to understand people.
Assessments are delayed, not completed or not updated. People’s care needs are not reviewed, where appropriate.
Unpaid carers and advocates are not supported to be partners in people’s care.
Risk assessments about care are not person-centred or proportionate. They are not regularly reviewed or reviewed with the person or their representative.

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