CQC Registered Manager and Nominated Individual Requirements
Every care provider registering with the Care Quality Commission must appoint individuals who meet strict fitness criteria.
Are you setting up a domiciliary care agency or a supported living service? You need to know what qualifications, experience and qualities your registered manager and nominated individual need. This is key to a successful CQC application.
Care Sync Experts helps providers across England check these requirements before they apply. This guide covers how to appoint the right people and prepare their CVs. It also explains what CQC expects under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
What Is a CQC Registered Manager?
A registered manager is the person legally responsible for running a regulated care service day to day. They register with CQC in their own name. They are personally accountable for the quality and safety of care at their location.
Under Regulation 7 of the HSCA 2008, the registered manager must be of good character, hold the necessary qualifications, demonstrate competence and relevant experience, and be physically and mentally able to carry out the role after any reasonable adjustments.
The CQC will not register a service without a named registered manager unless a specific exemption applies. So choose your registered manager early in the application. Make sure they can meet every part of the fitness check.
CQC Registered Manager Qualifications
CQC most often expects the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care. Skills for Care recognises this as the benchmark qualification for anyone managing a CQC-regulated service. It equals one year of degree study. It covers safeguarding, governance, quality improvement, person-centred care planning and compliance.
Expected qualification most commonly by the CQC is the
Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care.
Specified timeframe
12 to 18 months.
Providers should note that the Level 5 Diploma is not a strict legal requirement for registration. CQC looks at each application on its own. It weighs qualifications alongside experience and proven competence. However, if you do not yet hold the Level 5 Diploma, CQC may attach a condition to your registration. The condition may require you to complete it within a set time, often 12 to 18 months.
Other qualifications can support a registered manager application. These include a degree in nursing, social work, health management or a related subject. Some applicants hold the older NVQ Level 4 or Level 5 in Health and Social Care, which the CQC may accept alongside evidence of continued professional development.
When advising providers, Care Sync Experts always recommends that registered manager candidates either hold or be actively enrolled in the Level 5 Diploma before the CQC application is submitted. This makes the application stronger and makes conditions on your registration less likely.
How Care Sync Experts Supports Your Tender Submission
The CQC expects registered managers to bring recent, relevant management experience in health or social care. The law sets no minimum number of years. But inspectors look for proof that the candidate has supervised staff, managed care, handled complaints, run audits and acted on safeguarding concerns.
For domiciliary care, CQC expects the registered manager to know the challenges of giving care in the homes of the people they support. This includes rota planning, lone working policies and managing medication from a distance. It also includes keeping quality high across staff who work in many places.
A candidate who has managed a team giving personal care in the community is in a stronger position. That holds even against someone with long experience only in residential care.
A strong registered manager CV sets out a full work history from age 16, as required under Schedule 3 of the Regulations. Any gaps in employment must be explained in writing. The CV should list real achievements in past roles. Examples include raising CQC ratings, cutting staff turnover, running training and handling incidents well.
For supported living, inspectors look for experience with people who have a learning disability, autism or mental health needs. Familiarity with the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture is expected, along with an understanding of how to promote independence and choice.
The CV should also include the candidate's training record and any specialist certificates, such as safeguarding lead or medication training. It should confirm they have completed the Care Certificate or an equal induction. Where the candidate has experience across multiple service types, the CV should clearly distinguish the settings and the number of staff they managed in each role.
Care Sync Experts reviews every registered manager CV as part of registration. We find gaps and show candidates how to present their experience the way CQC expects. Call us to talk about your candidate before you apply.
What Is a Nominated Individual?
A nominated individual is a senior person chosen by an organisation that is a provider. They supervise how regulated activities are managed and are the main contact with CQC. Under Regulation 6, the nominated individual must be a director, manager, or secretary of the organisation who holds a position of authority and can speak on behalf of the provider.
When a Nominated Individual Is Required
Sole traders and partnerships do not need a nominated individual. This rule applies only to limited companies, charities and other corporate bodies. If you run several locations, each one needs its own registered manager. One nominated individual can oversee the whole organisation, if they have time to do the role well across every service.
Governance Role and Responsibilities
The nominated individual sits between the board and the registered manager in the governance structure. Their job is to oversee the service, support the registered manager and stay accountable for compliance across the organisation. They do not run the care day to day. But they must understand how the service works and what the rules require.
Nominated Individual Qualifications and Experience
CQC does not set a required qualification for nominated individuals. However, Regulation 6 sets fitness criteria. The nominated individual needs the qualifications, competence, skills and experience to supervise how the regulated activity is managed.
Expected Qualifications and Professional Background
In practice, CQC expects nominated individuals to hold a care qualification, such as a nursing degree, a social work qualification or a Level 5 Diploma. Or they can hold a business or management qualification and show experience in care. Some providers appoint a director with strong business skills. They pair this person with a registered manager who has clinical experience. This can work well, if the nominated individual can show they understand the rules.
CQC will test the nominated individual's knowledge of the fundamental standards. It will check they know the provider's legal duties and can act on concerns about quality. If your nominated individual is new to care regulation, give them proper training before the fit person interview.
Care Sync Experts advises providers on how to present the nominated individual's background in a way that satisfies the CQC's fitness assessment. If the nominated individual has no direct care experience, we help build evidence. It shows they can supervise the regulated activity well. Email hello@caresyncexperts.co.uk for guidance on your nominated individual application.
CV and Fitness Assessment Requirements
A nominated individual's CV should show senior leadership and knowledge of CQC rules and the Health and Social Care Act. It should show skill in governance and compliance, and the ability to oversee and support a registered manager. CQC will also check the nominated individual's character in the same way as a registered manager's. That includes a DBS check and checks on work history.
The CQC Fit Person Interview
CQC assesses a registered manager's fitness as part of their individual registration. A provider application may also include a nominated individual discussion. But the provider must take reasonable steps to make sure its nominated individual is fit under Regulation 6. These are distinct assessment activities rather than one universal interview that both roles must pass.
If CQC holds a nominated individual discussion, it may ask about the business model, management structure, values and governance. CQC does not publish a set interview order. Follow the arrangements it gives you for your application.
Registered Manager Assessment
The registered manager interview tests how well they can run the service day to day. Inspectors ask about safeguarding, medication, complaints and staffing. They also ask how the candidate will meet the fundamental standards. Questions are based on real situations. They need practical answers from experience, not textbook ones.
Preparing for the Interview
Interviews usually last between two and three hours and may take place by telephone, video call, or in person at a CQC regional office. To prepare, review the five key questions: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Learn the rules for your service type. Have clear examples from your career that show your competence in each area.
Candidates often struggle to explain their approach to the duty of candour. Many also struggle to say how they would handle a safeguarding claim against a staff member, or how they check quality. Candidates who rely on generic answers without grounding their responses in real examples from their career history are far less likely to pass the assessment.
CQC Interview
Care Sync Experts provides full CQC interview preparation for both registered managers and nominated individuals, including mock interviews and detailed feedback on areas for improvement.
Safe Recruitment Under Regulation 19
Beyond appointing a registered manager and nominated individual, providers must establish recruitment processes that comply with Regulation 19: Fit and Proper Persons Employed. This regulation requires that every person employed or engaged in carrying on a regulated activity is fit to do so.
Recruitment Support from Care Sync Experts
Care Sync Experts helps providers build recruitment processes that meet Regulation 19 from day one. Our business operations guidance includes templates for recruitment checklists, reference request letters, and employment history verification forms.
Schedule 3 Recruitment Requirements
Schedule 3 of the Regulations sets out the specific information providers must obtain and hold for each member of staff before they begin work. This includes proof of identity and a full work history, with written reasons for any gaps. You also need two good references from past employers and proof of relevant qualifications. Add a clear DBS check at the right level, and check professional registration where it applies.
Who Regulation 19 Applies To
The definition of "employed" under Regulation 19 is broad. It covers permanent, temporary, agency and bank staff, plus volunteers and contractors. If a third party does these checks, you are still responsible. You must make sure every requirement has been met.
Common Compliance Failures
CQC inspectors often find recruitment files that are not complete. Missing DBS checks, unexplained gaps in work history and missing references are among the most common Regulation 19 breaches. They can lower your ratings for Safe, Effective and Well-led.
DBS Checks for Care Workers
Every person working in a regulated care service must have a Disclosure and Barring Service check at the appropriate level before they begin unsupervised work. For most care roles, this means an enhanced DBS check with a check of the adults' barred list.
Providers should maintain a central DBS tracker that records the date of each check, the certificate number, the level of check completed, and any renewal dates. The DBS Update Service allows employers to carry out status checks on existing certificates, which can speed up the recruitment process and reduce costs for staff who move between employers.
It is worth noting that a DBS check is only one element of safe recruitment. A clear DBS certificate does not guarantee that a person is suitable for a care role. Look at the full picture. That includes references, work history, how the interview went and anything shared during the application.
Registered managers and nominated individuals also need:
Enhanced DBS checks
CQC may request sight of the certificate during the registration process.
Risk Assessments for DBS Disclosures
If a DBS certificate shows convictions or other information, carry out a risk assessment. Decide whether the person is still suitable for the role. This risk assessment should be documented in writing and retained in the individual's recruitment file for inspection. The CQC expects providers to make proportionate decisions based on the nature of the offence, its relevance to the role, and how much time has passed since the conviction.
Building a Recruitment Strategy for Your Care Service
Providers who plan their hiring well from the start are in a better position to get a Good or Outstanding rating. A structured recruitment strategy should address four areas.
Defining Roles and Competencies
Define the roles you need to fill and the specific competencies required for each. The registered manager and nominated individual come first. But also plan for senior care workers, care coordinators and admin staff who support compliance.
Establishing a Regulation 19-Compliant Recruitment Process
Develop a recruitment process that meets Regulation 19 in every detail. So create one application form and one interview format for every role. Use a Schedule 3 checklist for pre-employment checks. Keep files so you can show any staff member's recruitment records at once during an inspection.
Induction and Ongoing Training
Invest in induction and ongoing training. The CQC expects all staff to receive an induction aligned with the Care Certificate standards within their first 12 weeks. Registered managers should plan a training matrix. It should show how each person develops, from induction to specialist qualifications.
Staff Retention and Workforce Stability
Build retention into your recruitment strategy. High staff turnover is a red flag for the CQC and undermines continuity of care. To keep good staff once you hire them, think about fair pay, clear paths to promotion, regular supervision and a positive workplace.
Recruitment Support from Care Sync Experts
Care Sync Experts helps at every stage of recruitment. We help you find registered manager candidates and write CQC-compliant policies for safe staffing.
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