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Registering a domiciliary care agency with the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority is the legal requirement for any provider delivering personal care in people's own homes in Northern Ireland.
RQIA is the independent regulator of health and social care services across Northern Ireland, established under the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003. Unlike CQC in England, RQIA does not charge a registration application fee for domiciliary care agencies, though annual regulation fees apply based on the number of staff you employ.
This page explains
RQIA registration process
What documentation you need, how inspection works under the four domains and the Being Human Framework, and exactly what our setup package covers.
Our RQIA domiciliary care setup package gives you everything you need to register with RQIA, meet the Domiciliary Care Agencies Minimum Standards August 2021, prepare for your fit person interview, and build a compliant service ready to accept referrals from HSC Trusts across Northern Ireland.
Whether you are starting a home care agency in Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Newry, Lisburn, or any other area of Northern Ireland, our consultants will guide you through every stage from company formation through to your first 12 months of operation.
The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority is the independent body responsible for registering, inspecting, and regulating the quality of health and social care services in Northern Ireland.
Any organisation that provides or intends to provide domiciliary care involving personal care in Northern Ireland must register with RQIA before it can lawfully operate. Personal care means physical assistance with washing, bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, drinking, or managing oral medication provided to a person because of their age, illness, or disability. If your care workers provide any of these activities in a service user's own home, your agency requires RQIA registration. Operating without registration is a criminal offence under the 2003 Order.
RQIA registration is not simply a licence to operate. It is a continuous regulatory relationship where RQIA inspects your service against the Domiciliary Care Agencies Minimum Standards and the Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations (NI) 2007 throughout the lifetime of your registration.
Understanding what RQIA expects from the outset is essential for a successful registration. Our consultants are former regulatory inspectors who understand the RQIA registration process from the inside, and our RQIA domiciliary care package is designed to prepare your agency to meet every requirement before you submit your application.
Northern Ireland has its own regulatory framework for health and social care that is entirely separate from England's Care Quality Commission system. While both RQIA and CQC regulate domiciliary care, the legislation, standards, inspection methodology, fee structure, and registration process are different in every material respect. Providers who have experience with CQC registration in England should not assume that the same approach will work in Northern Ireland.
The primary legislation governing RQIA is the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (NI) Order 2003, whereas CQC operates under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
RQIA inspects against the Domiciliary Care Agencies Minimum Standards August 2021 and the Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations (NI) 2007, while CQC uses its single assessment framework and quality statements. The inspection methodology differs: RQIA uses four domains (Is Care Safe, Is Care Effective, Is Care Compassionate, Is the Service Well Led) combined with the Being Human Framework introduced in November 2025, while CQC uses its five key questions under the single assessment framework.
The workforce regulatory framework is also different. In Northern Ireland, all social care workers must be registered with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC), which is a legal requirement with no direct equivalent in England. Criminal record checks are conducted through Access NI rather than the Disclosure and Barring Service, and the responsible person role in NI regulation corresponds broadly to the nominated individual role in CQC regulation, though the specific requirements differ.
The adult social care commissioning landscape is fundamentally different. In Northern Ireland, the five HSC Trusts (Belfast, South Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western) commission domiciliary care, whereas in England this function sits with local authorities. The safeguarding referral pathway is different: Northern Ireland uses the Adult Safeguarding Gateway Service operated by HSC Trusts, not the local authority safeguarding processes used in England.
Perhaps the most significant operational difference is Regulation 23 of the Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations (NI) 2007, which requires the responsible person (or their representative) to conduct monthly quality monitoring visits and produce written reports. This specific requirement has no equivalent in England's CQC framework and requires dedicated systems, templates, and governance structures from the outset.
Our Team Support
CQC registration in England, CIW registration in Wales, and RQIA registration in Northern Ireland. We understand the differences between all three regulatory frameworks and ensure your documentation, policies, and preparation are tailored specifically to the jurisdiction you are registering in.
The Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 are the service-specific regulations that set out the legal requirements your agency must meet to register with RQIA and to continue providing domiciliary care lawfully.
These regulations comprise 30 individual regulations spanning every aspect of running a domiciliary care agency, from registration and governance through to staffing, service delivery, and record keeping.
The regulations address registration requirements and the conditions under which RQIA may grant, refuse, or attach conditions to registration. They establish requirements for the statement of purpose, which must describe your service accurately and comprehensively. They set out the fitness requirements for the responsible person and the manager, including qualifications, experience, health, and character. They require services to have robust recruitment and selection procedures, comprehensive induction programmes, ongoing training, and supervision systems for all staff.
The regulations also address service users' rights and dignity, confidentiality, complaints procedures, consultation with service users, health and safety, infection prevention and control, food safety (where applicable), medication management, reporting of accidents and incidents, records management, and financial procedures. Each regulation is an enforceable legal requirement, and failure to comply constitutes a breach that may result in enforcement action by RQIA.
Understanding these 30 regulations in detail is essential before you begin preparing your registration application. Your policies and procedures must demonstrate compliance with every applicable regulation. Your statement of purpose must accurately reflect the service you intend to deliver. Your business plan must show that you have the resources and systems to sustain compliance over time. Our setup package addresses every one of these regulatory requirements.
Access free RQIA checklists, templates, and guides to help with registration, inspection preparation, and ongoing compliance.
RQIA published the current edition of the Domiciliary Care Agencies Minimum Standards in August 2021. These 16 standards articulate what RQIA expects from domiciliary care agencies in terms of quality and set the benchmark against which your agency will be inspected. The minimum standards are not optional guidance: they represent the baseline that all registered agencies must meet.
Standards
Requires a clear, comprehensive statement of purpose.
Covers registration with RQIA.
Addresses the responsible person's fitness and governance capability.
Requires a suitably qualified and experienced manager.
Addresses appropriate staffing numbers, skill mix, and competence.
Covers induction and training for all staff.
Requires systems for assessing and monitoring staff competence.
Addresses supervision and appraisal.
Requires management of workers' conduct and discipline.
Addresses service users' rights and dignity.
Requires systems for assessing and monitoring staff competence.
Addresses safeguarding and requires robust procedures to protect service users from abuse, harm, exploitation, and neglect.
Covers medication management.
Addresses health and safety.
Requires infection prevention and control systems.
Addresses record keeping.
Your registration application must demonstrate that your agency has the systems, policies, and competence to meet all 16 standards from day one. During subsequent inspections, RQIA inspectors assess each standard and report their findings under the four domains. Our consultants map every element of your registration preparation directly to these standards, ensuring nothing is missed. We also provide a compliance management service that helps you maintain these standards throughout your first year and beyond.
The RQIA registration process follows a structured sequence that begins with your application and concludes with a registration decision. Understanding each stage and preparing thoroughly for it is the difference between a smooth registration and a protracted or refused application.
Before you submit your application, you need a completed registration application form for domiciliary care agencies, a comprehensive statement of purpose that accurately describes your service, a bespoke business plan with financial forecasts, a complete set of policies and procedures demonstrating compliance with the 2007 Regulations and 2021 Minimum Standards, evidence of enhanced Access NI disclosures and barred list checks for the responsible person and manager, evidence of qualifications and experience for key staff, and details of your staffing plan.
The second step is submitting your application through the RQIA web portal at portal.rqia.org.uk. RQIA conducts an initial assessment to determine whether your application is complete. They may contact you to request additional information or clarification if any element is missing or unclear.
The third step is the registration assessment visit. RQIA inspectors visit your premises, meet with the responsible person and manager, review your documentation, and assess whether your agency can demonstrate compliance with the regulatory requirements. This visit includes the fit person interview, where inspectors assess whether the responsible person and manager are fit to hold their positions.
RQIA will either approve your registration (with or without conditions) or refuse registration. If approved, your agency receives a certificate of registration and can commence operation. If conditions are attached, you must comply with all conditions. If refused, you have the right to request reconsideration or appeal the decision.RQIA will then schedule an initial inspection after registration to verify that your agency is operating as described in your application. Our package includes 12 months of ongoing support to help you through this critical first year, ensuring you are fully prepared when inspectors return.
One of the most frequently searched questions about RQIA domiciliary care registration relates to fees. RQIA does not charge a registration application fee for domiciliary care agencies, which is a significant difference from CQC in England where registration application fees start from approximately £2,192. However, RQIA does charge annual regulation fees based on the number of staff your agency employs.
RQIA does charge annual regulation fees based on the number of staff your agency employs.
Agencies employing 1 to 10 staff
£475
annual regulation fee
Agencies employing 26 to 50 staff
£1,075
annual regulation fee
Agencies employing 100 staff
£1,675
annual regulation fee
These fees are subject to annual review by RQIA and providers should check the current fee schedule on the RQIA website for the most up-to-date information.
Your startup budget should account for company incorporation (£12 for online filing at Companies House or CRO), professional indemnity and public liability insurance, enhanced Access NI disclosures for all staff (fees vary by disclosure type), NISCC registration fees for social care workers, recruitment and training costs, IT systems and care management software, and working capital to cover the gap between starting service delivery and receiving your first HSC Trust payments.
Our business plan includes detailed financial modelling that accounts for all these costs and provides realistic revenue forecasts based on current HSC Trust commissioning rates in your target area.
The fit person interview is one of the most critical stages of RQIA registration. During this interview, RQIA inspectors assess whether the responsible person and the manager are fit to hold their positions. "Fit" in this context means having the qualifications, skills, experience, knowledge, and personal integrity to oversee and manage a domiciliary care agency that delivers safe, effective, and compassionate care.
RQIA inspectors will assess whether you understand the Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations (NI) 2007, whether you can articulate your approach to each of the 16 Minimum Standards, whether you have robust systems for safeguarding vulnerable adults, whether you understand your obligations around medication management, whether you have established effective quality monitoring under Regulation 23, and whether you demonstrate the values and commitment that the Being Human Framework describes.
The interview is not a test of memorisation. Inspectors are looking for evidence that you have internalised the principles of safe, person-centred care and can apply them in practice. They want to hear specific examples, named scenarios, and evidence of reflective practice. They want to see that you understand the regulatory framework not as a compliance checklist but as a framework for delivering excellent care.
Our interview preparation programme for RQIA domiciliary care providers is built on insider knowledge of the inspection methodology. We use our proprietary STAR PLUS ELITE framework to structure answers that demonstrate regulatory knowledge, practical competence, and the values-based approach RQIA now expects under the Being Human Framework. We conduct full mock interviews under realistic conditions and provide detailed feedback on every answer.
RQIA inspects domiciliary care agencies against four domains: Is Care Safe, Is Care Effective, Is Care Compassionate, and Is the Service Well Led.
Is Care Safe
Is Care Effective
Is Care Compassionate
Is the Service Well Led
These four domains provide the organising framework for every inspection and every inspection report. When RQIA inspectors visit your agency, they gather evidence across all four domains and report their findings accordingly.
Examines whether your agency has systems, procedures, and practices that protect service users from harm. This includes safeguarding procedures, risk assessment, incident reporting, medication management, infection prevention and control, and staff training in protection.
Examines whether your agency delivers care that achieves outcomes for service users, including thorough needs assessment, person-centred care planning, staff competence, and evidence of effective service delivery.
Examines whether care is delivered with warmth, respect, and genuine regard for each person's dignity and individuality.
Examines your leadership, governance, and quality assurance systems, including Regulation 23 monthly monitoring.
In November 2025, RQIA introduced the Being Human Framework, which adds a values-based assessment layer alongside the four domains. The Being Human Framework has three domains: Commitment to Patient Safety and Staff Wellbeing, Compassion Civility and Respect, and Curiosity and Constructive Challenge. This framework examines whether your agency's compliance reflects genuine organisational commitment to quality rather than surface-level box-ticking.
The practical implication for providers is that meeting the regulations and minimum standards is necessary but no longer sufficient on its own. RQIA inspectors now also assess whether your organisation demonstrates authentic commitment to the values underpinning good care. Your policies, governance systems, staff culture, and leadership approach must all reflect this values-based ethos. Our setup package prepares your agency to meet both the regulatory requirements and the Being Human expectations.
Want to know exactly how we help you get RQIA registered? From your first consultation to post-registration compliance, see our 6-step process.
Regulation 23 of the Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations (NI) 2007 is one of the most distinctive requirements of the Northern Ireland regulatory framework. It requires the responsible person (or a person authorised by the responsible person) to conduct regular quality monitoring of the agency and to produce written reports documenting their findings.
In practice, this means the responsible person must visit the service, assess the quality of care being delivered, speak with service users and staff, review documentation, and produce a written report setting out what they found, what was working well, and what needed to improve. RQIA expects these monitoring visits to occur at least monthly and for written reports to be retained and made available to inspectors during inspection.
Regulation 23 monitoring is not merely an administrative exercise. RQIA inspectors examine Regulation 23 reports to assess whether the responsible person is actively engaged with the quality of the service, whether concerns are being identified and addressed, and whether there is evidence of continuous improvement. Weak or superficial Regulation 23 reports are one of the most common inspection findings in domiciliary care.
Our setup package includes Regulation 23 monitoring templates, audit tools, and a structured quality improvement framework that your responsible person can use from day one.
We also provide guidance on how to conduct effective monitoring visits and how to produce reports that demonstrate the governance quality RQIA expects. Our compliance management service includes ongoing support with Regulation 23 monitoring throughout your first year.
Northern Ireland has a mandatory workforce registration system that requires all social care workers to register with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC). NISCC registration is a legal requirement, and your agency must verify that all staff are NISCC-registered (or have applied for registration and are awaiting confirmation) before they begin delivering personal care. Employing unregistered social care workers is a regulatory breach.
Registered workers must renew their registration periodically and must complete a minimum number of professional development hours during each registration period. As an employer, you are responsible for verifying NISCC registration status during recruitment, maintaining records of registration, and supporting your staff to meet their ongoing registration requirements.
Access NI (part of the NI Civil Service) provides criminal record checks and checks against the children's and vulnerable adults' barred lists to verify that individuals are not unsuitable to work in positions of trust. Enhanced Access NI disclosures must be current (dated within the preceding three years) at the time of employment, and your agency must maintain evidence of these disclosures for all staff.
Your recruitment procedures must include written references, verification of identity and right to work, verification of NISCC registration, enhanced Access NI checks including barred list checks, and verification of qualifications and training. Our policies and procedures pack includes a comprehensive safer recruitment policy and all the templates you need to evidence compliant recruitment from day one. We also include a training matrix that maps mandatory and recommended training for domiciliary care staff in Northern Ireland.
Your RQIA registration application requires three core documents that together demonstrate your understanding of the regulatory framework, your service model, and your operational readiness.
Your business plan must present a clear executive summary and service vision, a market analysis of your target HSC Trust area including local commissioning priorities and demand for domiciliary care, your service delivery model covering target service user groups and support approaches, financial forecasts for years 1 to 3 with realistic revenue projections based on current HSC Trust commissioning rates, a staffing plan with recruitment timelines and NISCC registration requirements, and a quality assurance framework aligned with the four domains and the Being Human Framework.
Your statement of purpose must describe your service accurately and comprehensively as required by Standard 1 of the Minimum Standards. It must set out the aims and objectives of the service, the range of needs you will meet, the geographical area you will cover, the staffing arrangements, the complaints procedure, and the details of the responsible person and manager. The statement of purpose is a public-facing document that RQIA uses to assess whether your service is operating as described.
Your policies and procedures must address every area covered by the 2007 Regulations and the 2021 Minimum Standards. This includes safeguarding, medication management, infection prevention and control, complaints handling, confidentiality, recruitment and selection, induction and training, supervision and appraisal, health and safety, record keeping, and incident reporting. Each policy must reference the specific regulation and minimum standard it addresses and must reflect Northern Ireland legislation and terminology, not England-specific frameworks.
Our setup package produces all three documents to the standard RQIA expects, branded to your company and tailored to your specific service model, geographic area, and target service user groups.
In Northern Ireland, domiciliary care is commissioned by the five Health and Social Care Trusts: Belfast HSC Trust, South Eastern HSC Trust, Northern HSC Trust, Southern HSC Trust, and Western HSC Trust.
These Trusts are responsible for assessing adults' care needs and commissioning domiciliary care packages from RQIA-registered agencies. Securing HSC Trust contracts is the primary route to building a sustainable domiciliary care agency in Northern Ireland.
Each HSC Trust has its own commissioning arrangements, approved provider frameworks, and procurement processes. Some Trusts operate approved provider lists that agencies can apply to join, while others use competitive tendering processes for specific contracts. The rates paid by HSC Trusts for domiciliary care vary by Trust area, service user complexity, and the type of care package commissioned.
Building relationships with HSC Trust commissioning teams and social work departments is essential for new providers. Your business plan should demonstrate understanding of the commissioning landscape in your target Trust area. Your service model should align with the types of care packages the Trust is seeking to commission. Your operational systems should be ready to accept referrals, deliver care to the required standard, and report back to the Trust as required.
Our setup package includes guidance on engaging with HSC Trust commissioners, understanding local commissioning priorities, and positioning your agency to attract referrals. For providers looking to secure formal tender contracts, we offer specialist tender writing support that has helped care providers across the UK win local authority and HSC Trust contracts.
Securing RQIA registration is the beginning of your regulatory journey, not the end. Your first year of operation is the most critical period for establishing your agency's reputation, building a compliant service culture, and demonstrating to RQIA that you can sustain the standards you committed to during registration.
RQIA will schedule an initial inspection after registration to verify that your agency is operating as described in your application and statement of purpose. During this inspection, inspectors will assess your agency against the four domains and the Being Human Framework, review your documentation including care plans, staff files, training records, and Regulation 23 monitoring reports, speak with service users and staff, and examine the quality of care being delivered.
Your priorities during the first year should include establishing robust Regulation 23 monthly monitoring and maintaining written reports for every visit, building your team with NISCC-registered staff who hold current Access NI disclosures, developing person-centred care plans for every service user based on thorough needs assessment, embedding your policies and procedures into daily practice through staff training and supervision, building relationships with HSC Trust commissioners and social workers to increase referrals, and beginning to gather evidence for your quality improvement plan.
12 months of ongoing support through our compliance management service.
Access to our consultants throughout your first year for regulatory queries.
Inspection preparation
Policy updates
Operational guidance
We also provide branding and website development to ensure your agency has a professional online presence from day one.
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