CQC to Change How It Inspects Care Services
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has announced a big change to how it will inspect health and social care services in England.
Instead of using one main system for everything, the CQC will now create separate inspection frameworks for different types of services like adult social care, mental health services and hospitals.
What’s actually changing?
In simple terms, the CQC is moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
Different services do very different jobs, so the CQC says it makes more sense to inspect them in ways that better match what they actually do. For example, a care home will now be judged slightly differently to a hospital or a mental health service.
However, all services will still be judged on the same five key areas:
- Are they safe
- Are they effective
- Are they caring
- Are they responsive
- Are they well-led
So the basics stay the same, but the detail will be more relevant to each type of service.
Why are they doing this?
The CQC has faced criticism recently, with some providers saying inspections were unclear or didn’t reflect real-life practice.
After asking for feedback from the sector, the CQC found that people wanted:
- Clearer expectations
- Simpler processes
- Inspections that actually reflect the type of care being delivered
These new frameworks are meant to fix those issues.
What will it mean for care providers?
For staff and organisations, this should make inspections easier to understand.
Instead of trying to fit into a general system, providers will get guidance that is more specific to their area of work. This should help them know exactly what “good” looks like in their setting.
Another big change is that inspections won’t just rely on visits. The CQC will also use:
- Feedback from people using services
- Data and performance information
- Input from other professionals
This means services could be assessed more regularly, rather than just during an inspection.
When will this happen?
The new frameworks are still being developed during 2026, with full rollout expected by the end of the year.
The bottom line
The CQC is trying to make inspections:
- More relevant
- Easier to understand
- More up to date
For people working in health and social care, it means inspections will feel more tailored to their role—and more focused on the quality of care being provided every day, not just during a visit.
CQC are currently still seeking feedback on the initial drafts for each new framework. They can be found here