Free guide for care homes
What CQC inspectors look for
A practical guide and self-check for care home providers and registered managers. Run it as a mini mock inspection, then fix what it finds.
- See your home the way an inspector will
- Tick Yes, Partly or No against each of the five key questions
- Prepare your staff with eight questions inspectors tend to ask
- Finish with a dated action plan
What CQC inspectors look forPDF, 8 pages, 570 KBFor care home providers and registered managers
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What's inside
8 pages you can use the same day
A five key questions self-check
Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led, each broken into the things an inspector will actually check in a care home.
CQC quality statements, by key question
The current quality statements that sit under each key question, so you can see where each check comes from.
What happens on the day
Before anyone knocks, arrival, during the visit, and feedback and the draft report.
A mini mock for your staff
Eight questions to put to staff on different shifts. Hesitant answers show you where training or supervision needs to focus.
A grab-file list
The core documents to keep in one place, so nobody is hunting for them when an inspector asks.
An action plan
Every Partly and No goes on the plan with a name and a date, ready to check again in a month.
Written by HLTH Compliance. This guide is independent: CQC has not produced or endorsed it, and it is not a substitute for CQC's own guidance. The five key questions stay the same under CQC's current framework and its draft proposals.
Want an inspector's eye on your own home?
A mock inspection with HLTH tests your service against the five key questions and leaves you with a clear idea of where to focus first.