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Our CIW domiciliary care registration package gives you everything you need to register, launch, and grow a compliant home care service in Wales, from your initial business plan and RISCA-compliant policies through to CIW application submission, fit person interview preparation, and 12 months of ongoing professional support.
Starting a domiciliary care agency in Wales requires registration with Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, commonly known as RISCA.
CIW operates under its own distinct legislative framework, registration process, and inspection methodology rooted in RISCA 2016 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.
Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) is the statutory body responsible for registering, inspecting, and taking action to improve the quality of care and support services in Wales. Any person or organisation wishing to provide domiciliary support services in Wales must register with CIW before delivering any care. Operating without CIW registration is a criminal offence under RISCA 2016.
CIW registration confirms that your service meets the regulatory standards required to provide personal care to individuals in their own homes across Wales. The registration process involves submitting a detailed application through CIW Online, providing evidence of your fitness to operate, and demonstrating that your service model meets the national minimum standards for domiciliary care in Wales.
Our CIW registration package prepares every element of your application to the standard CIW assessors expect, reducing the risk of delays or conditions being placed on your registration
Our Comprehensive Package
Prices Range from £500 to £6,000
EXCL VAT
Download a PDF version of our CIW Domiciliary Care Agency Package Page
RISCA 2016 replaced the Care Standards Act 2000 as the primary legislation governing regulated care services in Wales. It introduced significant changes to how domiciliary care agencies are registered, inspected, and held accountable. Understanding RISCA is essential before you begin your CIW registration.
Under RISCA, domiciliary support services fall within the category of “regulated services” and must comply with the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017. These regulations set out specific requirements for governance, staffing, service delivery, record keeping, and reporting. RISCA also introduced the Responsible Individual role, which is unique to Wales and carries distinct legal duties including personal accountability for the quality and safety of the service. Our consultants prepare your registration documentation to reflect these Wales-specific requirements precisely.
RISCA gives CIW enhanced enforcement powers including the ability to issue restriction notices, cancellation notices, and urgent procedures where services fall below acceptable standards. Your policies and procedures must be written to address each of these regulatory requirements, and our package includes a complete set of RISCA-compliant policy documents tailored to your service.
We compare CQC, RQIA, CIW and Ofsted side by side, covering registration fees, inspection frameworks, rating systems and enforcement powers across all four UK nations
Registration is required for a Responsible Individual. The Responsible Individual must be a director, trustee, or similar officer of the organisation and carries personal legal accountability for the quality and safety of the service. If you are a sole trader, you act as both the service provider and Responsible Individual.
Registration is required for the service provider. Any organisation providing personal care to people in their own homes in Wales must register with CIW. This includes domiciliary care agencies, supported living providers, and any service providing regulated activities as defined under RISCA 2016.
Your designated Service Manager does not need to be registered with CIW in the same way, but must meet the fitness requirements set out in the regulations and must be registered with Social Care Wales as a social care manager. Our compliance management team helps you identify the right people for these roles and prepare them for the CIW assessment process.
Our CIW domiciliary care registration package is a complete end-to-end service covering every stage from initial planning through to your first year of operation. The package is designed specifically for Wales and addresses the unique requirements of CIW registration under RISCA 2016.
The package includes a bespoke business plan for your Welsh domiciliary care agency with financial forecasts covering years 1 to 3, a full set of RISCA-compliant policies and procedures written for your specific service model.
A CIW-compliant Statement of Purpose, completed CIW application forms ready for submission through CIW Online, fit person interview preparation for your Responsible Individual and Service Manager.
Branded website and marketing materials through our branding service, recruitment support and workforce planning.
12 months of ongoing consultancy support covering CIW inspection preparation, annual returns, and regulatory updates.
CIW registration fees for domiciliary support services in Wales are calculated based on your service type and the number of staff you employ.
£676 – £3,422
The application fee ranges from approximately £676 for a small service to £3,422 or more for larger operations, based on staffing capacity. There is also an annual fee payable on the anniversary of your registration, which is calculated using the same staffing bands.
Your CIW registration application must be supported by a robust business plan that demonstrates your understanding of the Welsh care market and your capacity to deliver a safe, effective domiciliary care service. CIW assessors review your business plan as part of the registration process, so it must address Welsh-specific factors including local authority commissioning structures, Welsh Government health and social care policy, and regional care needs.
The business plan is written in a professional format that satisfies both CIW assessors and potential funders or investors.
Access free CQC checklists, templates, and guides to help with registration, inspection preparation, and ongoing compliance.
CIW expects your domiciliary care service to have comprehensive policies and procedures in place before registration is granted. Under RISCA 2016 and the 2017 Regulations, these policies must address specific Welsh requirements under RISCA and the 2017 Regulations.
These cover safeguarding (aligned with the Wales Safeguarding Procedures 2019 and Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014).
Under RISCA 2016, every regulated service must produce a Statement of Purpose that sets out the aims and objectives of the service, the range of needs the service is designed to meet, the name of the Responsible Individual and Service Manager, the address from which the service operates, and the arrangements for managing the service.
Our team writes a comprehensive Statement of Purpose for your domiciliary care service that meets CIW's specific expectations and reflects the Welsh regulatory language used by inspectors. The Statement of Purpose must be kept up to date and provided to CIW whenever changes occur. Our ongoing support package includes Statement of Purpose reviews and updates throughout your first year of operation.
The CIW registration process follows a structured pathway that typically takes several months from initial preparation to receiving your registration certificate. Understanding each stage helps you plan your timeline accurately.
This is where our consultants work with you to develop your business plan, policies, Statement of Purpose, and all supporting documentation. We ensure everything is ready before you submit your application.
CIW uses an online portal for all applications, and our team guides you through every section to ensure accuracy
CIW assessors review your application documents and may request additional information or clarification
CIW interviews your Responsible Individual and Service Manager to assess their suitability
CIW may grant registration, grant registration with conditions, or refuse registration if concerns are identified.
Our CIW registration package covers all five phases. We prepare your documentation, guide you through the online application, respond to any CIW information requests, and provide intensive interview preparation for your Responsible Individual and Service Manager.
CIW registration under RISCA introduces two key roles that carry specific legal responsibilities: the Responsible Individual and the Service Manager.
He/She must be a director, partner, or similar officer of the service provider organisation. This person is legally accountable for ensuring the service complies with RISCA requirements and must satisfy CIW that they are fit to hold this role. Fitness is assessed through their qualifications, experience, character, and ability to oversee the service effectively. The Responsible Individual must produce quarterly quality of care reviews and an annual report on the quality of care delivered.
The person responsible for the day-to-day management of the domiciliary care service. This person must register with Social Care Wales as a social care manager within 12 months of taking up the role and must hold or be working towards a relevant management qualification such as the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care. Our interview preparation service provides intensive coaching for both the Responsible Individual and Service Manager, covering the types of questions CIW assessors ask and the evidence they expect to see.
The CIW fit person interview is a critical stage of the registration process. CIW uses this interview to assess whether your Responsible Individual and Service Manager have the knowledge, skills, and values needed to run a safe and effective domiciliary care service in Wales.
CIW interview questions focus on your understanding of RISCA 2016, the 2017 Regulations, Welsh Government care standards, safeguarding procedures, medication management, recruitment and workforce development, quality assurance, and service user involvement. Assessors also explore your understanding of the Welsh language Active Offer and your commitment to person-centred care.
Want to know exactly how we help you get CQC registered? From your first consultation to post-registration compliance, see our 6-step process.
Social Care Wales registration costs £30 per worker for the first year and £30 annually to maintain registration. Workers must meet specific training and qualification requirements, including holding or working towards the relevant health and social care qualification. As an employer, you are responsible for ensuring all your care workers are registered or in the process of registering with Social Care Wales before they begin delivering care.
Our CIW registration package includes guidance on the Social Care Wales registration process for your workforce, training requirements and qualification pathways, managing registration timelines to ensure compliance, record keeping systems for tracking your workers' registration status, and training matrix development aligned with Social Care Wales requirements.
Under the Welsh Language Standards and the More than Just Words framework, care services in Wales must provide the Active Offer. This means offering services in Welsh without waiting for people to request them. CIW inspectors assess whether your service has implemented the Active Offer as part of their inspection process.
The Active Offer means identifying service users who prefer to receive care in Welsh, recruiting Welsh-speaking staff where possible, providing key documents (care plans, assessments, complaints procedures) in Welsh, and demonstrating an organisational commitment to the Welsh language in your policies and training. Our policies and procedures package includes Welsh language Active Offer policies and guidance on implementing this requirement in practice, even if your current team does not include Welsh speakers.
Receiving your CIW registration certificate marks the beginning of your regulatory relationship with Care Inspectorate Wales. CIW conducts regular inspections of registered domiciliary support services to assess the quality of care against the national minimum standards.
Inspectors review documentation, observe care delivery, speak with service users and staff, and assess compliance with RISCA and the 2017 Regulations. Your Responsible Individual must also produce quarterly quality of care reviews and submit an annual return to CIW.
CIW inspection preparation and mock inspection exercises
Quarterly quality of care review templates and guidance
Annual return preparation and submission support
Regulatory updates and policy amendments when Welsh legislation or guidance changes
ongoing access to our compliance management team for advice on any CIW-related queries.
Care Sync Experts is one of the only consultancies in the UK offering a specialist CIW registration service for domiciliary care agencies in Wales. Our team has deep knowledge of the Welsh regulatory system including RISCA 2016, the 2017 Regulations, Social Care Wales requirements, and CIW inspection methodology.
Our CIW domiciliary care registration package is not a repackaged English service. Every element is built specifically for Wales, from the business plan referencing Welsh local authority commissioning to the policies citing the Wales Safeguarding Procedures and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. We understand the distinct roles of the Responsible Individual and Service Manager under RISCA, the nuances of the CIW fit person interview, and the practical challenges of implementing the Welsh language Active Offer.
We also offer branding and website design, tender writing for Welsh local authority contracts, and ongoing compliance management support. Contact us on 0333 577 0877 or email hello@caresyncexperts.co.uk to discuss your CIW registration.
Ready to progress in your care business journey? Reach out to us today for a consultation. Kickstart your path to success with Care Sync Experts.
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Email: hello@caresyncexperts.co.uk
Phone: 0333 577 0877
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