Advice from HLTH Compliance, page 4
CQC and Ofsted compliance, explained
Advice, news and video on regulatory change and best practice for health and social care providers.
Advice articles, page 4
- Advice
CQC Compliance and HR: Are You Ready for an Inspection?
When the Care Quality Commission (CQC) arrives to inspect your service, it’s not just care delivery under review, your HR systems are firmly in scope too. Behind every safe, effective and well-led service is a workforce that has been robustly recruited, appropriately trained and consistently supported. Much of what inspectors assess is underpinned by the
- Advice
National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage Increases: What Employers Need to Know for April 2026
From 1 April 2026, new statutory pay rates will come into effect across the UK, increasing both the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and the National Living Wage (NLW). These annual updates are an important compliance requirement for employers and will have direct implications for payroll, workforce planning, and financial forecasting in the 2026/27 financial year.
- Advice
What Is a Regulation 44 Visit?
A Regulation 44 visit is a core requirement for children’s homes in England. It involves independent oversight visits to assess how the home is operating, whether children are safe, and whether the leadership and governance arrangements are effective. Regulation 44 is not a “formality”. These visits play a significant role in ongoing quality assurance and
- Advice
Statutory Pay Increases for April 2026
Further to our update last week on the changes to Statutory Sick Pay, the Government has also confirmed increases to the standard rates of statutory family-related pay, due to take effect from 6 April 2026. These changes will affect all employers and should now be factored into your budgeting for the 2026/27 financial year. Below,
- Advice
How Long Does Ofsted Registration Take?
Ofsted registration can feel slow, complex, and unpredictable – especially for new providers entering children’s social care. Whether you are registering a children’s home, supported accommodation, fostering service, or specialist provision, the registration process is a major project that requires planning, strong evidence, and a well-prepared leadership team. At HLTH Compliance, we support providers through
- Advice
How to Train Your Team for a CQC Inspection
Training your team for a CQC inspection is not about teaching people “what to say”. It is about ensuring staff understand what safe practice looks like, how your service operates, and how to evidence compliance confidently. CQC inspections are often won or lost on consistency. If different staff members give different answers to the same
- Advice
Employment Rights Act: The February 2026 Changes
The Employment Rights Bill has now received Royal Assent and became the Employment Rights Act 2025 on 18 December 2025. The Act introduces a series of amendments and additions to existing employment legislation, including the Employment Rights Act 1996. Importantly for employers, most of the changes will come into force during 2026 and 2027, meaning
- Advice
Interim Registered Manager Support – When You Need It
Losing a Registered Manager – or operating without one – is one of the highest-risk situations a regulated provider can face. Whether due to resignation, sickness, suspension, recruitment challenges, or rapid growth, the absence of a strong Registered Manager can quickly impact safety, governance, staff confidence, and regulator trust. At HLTH Compliance, we provide Interim
- Advice
How to Prepare for a CQC Inspection
Preparing for a CQC inspection is not about last-minute panic – it is about building a service that is consistently safe, well-led, and well-evidenced. In the current regulatory climate, inspections are increasingly evidence-led, and providers need to demonstrate strong governance alongside frontline delivery. At HLTH Compliance, we support providers to prepare for inspection through a
- Advice
Single-Sex Facilities, Gender Identity, and the Workplace
What Recent Tribunal Decisions Mean for Health and Social Care Employers Recent employment tribunal decisions have brought renewed focus on how employers manage access to single-sex facilities where legal protections relating to sex and gender reassignment intersect. For health and social care providers, these issues are particularly acute. Large, diverse workforces, shared changing facilities, strict
- Advice
CQC Policies and Procedures – What You Need
CQC policies and procedures are not just documents for registration or inspection – they are the operational foundation of your service. Whether you are opening a new care business or strengthening an established service, CQC expects providers to evidence clear systems, safe practice, and robust governance. Well-written policies demonstrate that your organisation understands risk, can
- Advice
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: What the Employment Rights Bill Means for Employers
The UK’s approach to workplace safety is undergoing a fundamental shift. Following the introduction of the Worker Protection Act last year, employers are already under a strengthened legal duty to prevent sexual harassment at work. The forthcoming Employment Rights Bill will go further still, placing significantly greater expectations on employers and HR teams. While the
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