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CQC registration guide, updated October 2026

CQC registration: how to register with CQC in 2026

CQC registration is the legal approval you need from the Care Quality Commission before you provide a regulated health or social care activity in England. You apply by emailing CQC's provider application, your registered manager's application and your supporting documents together. There is no application fee, and CQC says a decision can take a few months.

Below: who needs to register, the eight steps, the documents, the fees and what changed in 2026. If you would like us to help, our registration package is a fixed £4,000 + VAT.

A Care Sync Experts consultant reviewing a provider's CQC application

94%

of the applications we support are approved first time

How we help

CQC registration in 30 seconds

Checked against CQC's guidance on

Who must register
Anyone carrying on a regulated activity in England, such as personal care, whether a sole trader, a partnership or an organisation.
What it costs
Nothing to apply. Once registered, home care pays £239 a year per location plus £54.305 for each person supported.
How long it takes
CQC aims to decide 10 weeks after it validates your application. Plan for a few months, plus your own preparation.
How you apply
Email CQC's forms and every supporting document together. New providers no longer apply through the portal.
What you need first
An enhanced DBS check, a registered manager for most services, a location you can legally occupy and documents written for your service.
Who submits
You do. CQC asks applicants to complete the application themselves, and only CQC decides.
Care staff working together on tablets

Ready to start? Step 1 is checking you need to register.

Go to the steps

What is CQC registration?

CQC registration is a legal requirement under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. Any organisation or individual that provides a regulated health or social care activity in England must be registered with the Care Quality Commission before they start. Providing a regulated activity without registration is a criminal offence that can lead to prosecution.

The CQC is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. To register you, it needs to be satisfied that your service will be safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs and well led. You show this through your documents, your application and, usually, interviews with the people who will run the service.

Registration is not a one-off event. Once registered, you pay an annual fee, CQC assesses and rates your service, and you must keep meeting the fundamental standards in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Care Sync Experts consultants taking a care provider through its CQC registration plan

The five key questions

Safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

Who needs to register with CQC?

Anyone who carries on a regulated activity in England must register, whether they are a sole trader, a partnership or an organisation. For community care that usually means personal care. Whether you need to register depends on what you will actually do, not on what your service is called.

Domiciliary and home care

A provider that delivers personal care in people's own homes normally needs CQC registration for the regulated activity of personal care.

Supported living with personal care

A supported living provider may need CQC registration where it delivers personal care. Accommodation, tenancy and general support alone are not the same regulated activity.

Your planned service model

The regulated activities must reflect what your organisation will actually do, who it will support and where care will be delivered.

Supported living boundaries

For supported living, CQC registration depends on who controls and delivers personal care. The tenancy and accommodation arrangements must remain distinct from the care service, and the application should describe that model consistently.

Exemptions

There are some exemptions. If you're an individual hiring a care worker directly without using an agency, or if you're an introductory agency that simply connects clients with carers without managing the care itself, you may not need to register. However, the boundaries can be complex, and we always recommend getting professional advice before assuming you're exempt.

It's also important to understand that the CQC only regulates services in England. If you're providing care in Wales, you'll need to register with Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW). For Northern Ireland, the regulator is the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). In Scotland it is the Care Inspectorate. We support registrations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Step by step

How to register with CQC: 8 steps

This is the order that works for a new domiciliary care or supported living provider in 2026. CQC only looks at your application once it is complete, so the first five steps decide how quickly you are registered.

DBS check for the main contact
Up to 60 days
To agree assessment dates with CQC
28 days
CQC's aim for a decision after validation
10 weeks
Email size limit for your submission
25MB
A care provider's team mapping out their service model togetherStage 1 of 4

Steps 1 to 2

Plan your service

  1. Check that you need to register

    You need CQC registration if you will carry on a regulated activity in England, such as personal care, treatment of disease, disorder or injury, or accommodation for people who need nursing or personal care. It applies whether you are a sole trader, a partnership or an organisation.

    Get the regulated activities right first. Everything else in your application has to match them.

  2. Set up your legal entity and key people

    Decide how you will register and, for a company, check that your Companies House record matches what you will tell CQC. An organisation names a nominated individual, and most services also need a registered manager who applies alongside you.

    Your registered manager's application goes in at the same time as yours, not afterwards.

Prepared CQC registration documents stacked on a deskStage 2 of 4

Steps 3 to 5

Prepare your evidence

  1. Start the DBS checks straight away

    Everyone named on the application needs an enhanced DBS check that meets CQC's requirements. This is often the longest wait before you can submit.

    CQC says the DBS check for the main contact can usually take up to 60 days.

  2. Get your location ready

    Register the address your service will run from and make sure you can legally occupy it. Your office, your staff and your systems need to be ready for a site visit before you apply, not after.

    Home care and supported living applicants send evidence of legal occupancy.

  3. Write your statement of purpose and policies

    Prepare the statement of purpose and the supporting documents CQC lists, written for your service rather than copied from a template. For home care and supported living that includes a business plan and financial forecast, a service user guide and a staff training plan.

    Since February 2026 a consent policy and governance and quality assurance policies are compulsory.

A provider completing a CQC registration application formStage 3 of 4

Steps 6 to 7

Apply

  1. Complete CQC's application forms

    Fill in the provider application form, the registered manager application and any additional form for your service. New homecare providers also complete an additional personal care form, which includes market research showing there is demand for your service locally.

    CQC asks you to complete the application yourself. A consultant can review it but cannot submit it for you.

  2. Email everything together, only when ready

    Send the forms and all supporting documents in one submission to hsca_applications@cqc.org.uk. CQC will not hold an application while you finish it, and incomplete applications are returned. A returned homecare application counts as a new application and loses its place in the queue.

    Emails over 25MB bounce, so zip the files or split them across emails.

A registered manager taking part in an online interview with CQCStage 4 of 4

Step 8

Assessment and decision

  1. Assessment and CQC's decision

    CQC checks the application is complete, then assesses it. That can include interviews with the people named and a site visit. If you are registered, CQC sends a notice of decision and your certificate, and you can start providing care.

    Agree assessment dates within 28 days of CQC's contact, or your application may be returned.

Sources: CQC, Register as a new provider (October 2026), Supporting documents for your application (August 2026) and How we register new providers.

What do you need for CQC registration?

To be registered you need a legal entity, the right people, enhanced DBS checks, a location you can legally occupy and a full set of documents written for your service. Since 1 July 2025 homecare applications that are not complete and accurate when CQC receives them are returned without a full assessment, so have everything below ready before you submit.

A registered legal entity

You can register as an individual (a sole trader), a partnership or an organisation. Most new home care providers register as a limited company, and the details you give CQC must match your Companies House record.

A nominated individual

If you're registering as an organisation, you must appoint a nominated individual. This person must be employed as a director, manager, or secretary of the organisation and must hold a position that carries responsibility for supervising the management of your regulated activities.

A registered manager

Most care services are required to have a registered manager as a condition of registration. Your registered manager must apply to the CQC alongside your provider application and demonstrate their fitness for the role. We prepare every registered manager we work with for this, including their interview with CQC.

An enhanced DBS check

The people named on the application, including the registered manager and nominated individual, need an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check that meets CQC's requirements before you submit. CQC says the check for the main contact can usually take up to 60 days, so start it first.

Core supporting documents

Governance policy and procedures

Setting out how your service will be managed, who is responsible for what, and how you ensure quality.

Safeguarding policy and procedures

Covering how you protect adults and children from abuse and neglect, including reporting pathways.

Infection prevention and control policy

Detailing how you manage infection risks, particularly relevant since the strengthened focus on IPC.

Medication management policy

Explaining how medicines will be ordered, stored, administered, and recorded.

Quality assurance policy

Describing how you monitor, audit, and improve the quality of your services.

What you have to send with a CQC registration application

The CQC is explicit about what happens when this is wrong. Its guidance states that it will reject an application if you do not send all the required documents, and reject it again if what you send contains incorrect or out of date information, leaves out information it has asked for, or is not relevant to your service. Below is the current list, taken from that guidance.

Every applicant

Documents everyone must send

  • Statement of purpose
  • Consent policy and procedure
  • Governance and quality assurance policies
  • Safeguarding policy and procedure
  • Infection prevention and control policy
  • Medicines management and prescribing policy, including transportation of patient medication
  • Complaints policy
  • Recruitment policy
  • Equality, diversity and human rights policy
  • Public and employer liability insurance quote or certificate
  • Building control final certificate, where a location needed building regulations approval

A financial viability statement is also required, but not from corporate providers, NHS trusts, care homes, home care agencies or supported living services. Most domiciliary and supported living applicants are therefore outside it.

Home care and supported living

Extra documents for your service type

  • Business plan and financial forecast
  • Evidence of legal occupancy
  • Service user guides
  • Staff training plan
  • The additional form for personal care providers

Specialist services for autistic people and people with a learning disability send a positive behaviour support policy and a restraint policy on top, with the additional form for those services.

Do not send these

Documents the CQC might ask for

  • Duty of candour policy
  • Freedom to speak up, whistleblowing or confidential reporting policy
  • List of risk assessments
  • Person centred care planning policy
  • Reportable incidents policy
  • Risk management policy
  • Sample care contract
  • Sample care plan
  • Staffing structure and rotas

These are not part of the submission. Hold them ready. If an inspector asks and you cannot produce them, your application may be delayed.

What every one of those documents must carry

Whatever the document, the CQC expects it to show your business name, the name of the person responsible for it, the date it was created and the date it will be reviewed. It also has to be complete, free of any personal information about the people you support, consistent with your other policies, accessible to staff and to the people who will use your service, and current in its references to legislation and guidance, with working links.

Why a downloaded policy pack so often fails

The CQC addresses this directly. If you use a third party template, it says, make sure it suits your service type, and it gives the example of a residential care template being used by a home care applicant. A pack written for the wrong service is one of the quickest ways to fail the completeness check, because the policies describe a service you are not applying to run.

Source: Care Quality Commission, Supporting documents: new provider registration applications. The overview page was last updated on 7 August 2026, the list of documents everyone must send on 10 August 2026, and the home care and supported living pages on 15 June 2026. A separate change on 17 August 2026 added further documents for ambulance services only. Always check the CQC pages before you submit, because this guidance is revised often.

CQC statement of purpose guide

Your Statement of Purpose is a binding commitment to the CQC. Our guide covers all four mandatory sections, common return reasons, and how to prepare a clear, consistent document.

How Much Does CQC Registration Cost?

There is no fee to apply for CQC registration. Once you are registered, a home care or supported living service pays CQC £239 a year per location plus £54.305 for each person it supports, so an agency supporting 25 people pays £1,596.63. Preparing the application is the second cost, and it is the one most new providers underestimate.

CQC fees

Paid directly to the regulator

No fee for initial registration. Once registered, an annual fee covers ongoing regulation, monitoring, and inspection.

Domiciliary care and supported living

£239 + £54.305

per location each year, plus £54.305 for every person you support

Annual CQC fee for one domiciliary care location
People supportedAnnual fee
10£782.05
25£1,596.63
50£2,954.25
100£5,669.50

Fees are set by the CQC fees scheme that took effect on 1 April 2019 and remains in force. You are invoiced monthly and can pay by direct debit in ten instalments or in a single payment within 30 days of the invoice date. Checked against cqc.org.uk in October 2026.

Application preparation

Beyond CQC fees, budget for:

DBS checks for all named individuals

Company formation (if not yet incorporated)

Business insurance

Policy & documentation development

Business plan & financial forecast

Registered manager interview coaching

Many providers underestimate how much work goes into preparing a complete CQC application. The documentation requirements alone can take weeks to prepare properly, and a rejected application means starting the process again from the beginning.

Get a cost breakdown
A care provider reviewing CQC registration costs at her desk

CQC registration support tailored to your stage.

Our full CQC registration package is a fixed £4,000 + VAT, covering scoping, your document pack, interview preparation and help with CQC's follow-up questions. You complete and submit your own application. Book a consultation and we will tell you which parts you need.

Contact us for a consultation

What has changed in CQC registration, and when

The process has tightened in stages rather than all at once. New provider and manager applications moved off the provider portal to downloadable forms on 18 November 2024. A two stage process for new homecare applications began on 1 July 2025, and in December 2025 the CQC said it was rolling the same approach out across other sectors. In February 2026 two more policies joined the list that every applicant must send.

If you are preparing to register, these are the changes that decide whether your application is looked at or returned.

Two more policies became mandatory

In February 2026 the CQC added a consent policy and procedure, and governance and quality assurance policies, to the documents every provider applicant must send. Its guidance pages for both were last updated on 2 February 2026, and the new requirement applied from 9 February 2026. Services supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability send a positive behaviour support policy and a restraint policy on top.

Zero tolerance for incomplete applications

Since 1 July 2025 the CQC has run new homecare applications through a two stage process. Stage one is a completeness check: applications that are not complete and accurate at the point of receipt are returned and rejected without a full assessment. A corrected application counts as a new one and does not keep its place in the queue. In December 2025 the CQC said it was rolling the same approach out across other sectors.

Higher evidence standards

The CQC expects providers to be inspection-ready at the point of registration, not works in progress. Generic policies downloaded from the internet won't pass scrutiny. Your documentation must be specific to your service, reflect current standards, and demonstrate genuine operational readiness.

A 28 day clock on contact

The CQC's guidance for new providers states that if you cannot agree a date for assessment activities within 28 days of being contacted, or if it cannot reach you, your application may be returned or it may propose to refuse your registration. Whoever is named on the application has to be reachable and available throughout, not just at the point of submission.

These changes mean that getting professional support with your CQC registration is more important than ever. Our team stays current with every regulatory update, so your application reflects exactly what the CQC expects right now.

What CQC registration support includes

CQC registration support is practical guidance that helps you understand the requirements, identify gaps and prepare consistent evidence for your own application. It can cover regulated activities, your Statement of Purpose, supporting documents, registered manager and nominated individual interview preparation, and guidance on CQC follow-up questions.

Our full CQC registration package is a fixed £4,000 plus VAT. What you need depends on the service you are registering, so call 0333 577 0877 and we will tell you which parts apply before you commit to anything.

Care Sync Experts supports domiciliary care and supported living providers applying to deliver personal care in England. Our guidance is tailored to community-based services and the evidence their applicants need to prepare.

Scoping the regulated activities

Helping you understand which regulated activities may apply to your planned service before you submit. A mismatch can delay your application or lead CQC to ask for changes.

The statement of purpose

Written to match the activities you are applying for, the people you intend to support and the way you actually intend to run the service, rather than assembled from a template that contradicts the rest of your application.

The supporting documents

Helping you organise and review the documents CQC asks applicants to send, including the additional items relevant to home care and supported living services.

The registered manager and nominated individual

Preparing both people for their interviews and reviewing the consistency of the evidence behind their applications, including the DBS position.

Preparing your application

Reviewing the consistency of your provider and manager information and giving structured guidance while you complete and submit your own application.

Understanding CQC follow-up

Helping you understand information requests after submission so you can prepare and send your own accurate response to CQC.

What we will not tell you

Nobody can guarantee a CQC registration, and any consultant who offers you one is telling you something they cannot deliver. CQC decides. A consultant can help you identify common causes of returned applications and prepare the people CQC may interview for the areas they are likely to explore. If you want to see what those reasons look like before you commit to anyone, our guide towhat CQC returns an application forsets them out.

Why choose Care Sync Experts for your CQC registration?

The Care Sync Experts registration consultants

Guidance based on current CQC requirements

We base our guidance on current CQC application forms, published supporting-document requirements and assessment guidance. We help providers prepare service-specific documents, identify inconsistencies and practise explaining their evidence clearly.

Focused on domiciliary care and supported living

Our CQC registration service is focused on domiciliary care and supported living providers in England. Support is tailored to personal care, community-based delivery and the evidence relevant to the applicant's planned service.

Structured support across your journey

We don't just write your policies and wish you luck. Our service can support your preparation across the registration journey:

Scoping and regulated activity guidance to help you choose activities that reflect your planned service.

Tailored document preparation and review, including your business plan, financial forecast, Statement of Purpose, policies, service user guide, training plan and complaints procedure.

Structured guidance while you complete your own application, with consistency checks across the information and evidence you prepare.

Registered manager interview preparation including mock interviews, question banks, and personalised coaching.

Post-submission guidance to help you understand and prepare your own responses to CQC information requests.

Ongoing compliance guidance to keep you inspection-ready after registration.

We also support Wales and Northern Ireland

While the CQC covers England, we also support providers registering with CIW in Wales and RQIA in Northern Ireland. If your organisation is considering more than one jurisdiction, we provide guidance that reflects the relevant regulator and application route.

Client results

Providers we have taken through CQC registration

Real providers, in their own words. Some came after a rejected application, some had applied three times on their own, some started with only a company name and some only needed help with the interview.

CQC registration

Kursi Healthcare Limited

Came to us with a rejected application that someone else had prepared. We rebuilt the pack from the business up, then prepared them for interview. Now CQC registered.

  • CQC registration

    VPEG Care Services

    Applied to CQC three times on their own and each application came back. We rebuilt the pack so every document agreed and coached both the RM and NI. Now CQC registered.

  • CQC registration

    Precious Care North West

    From a company name to a CQC registered domiciliary care provider across Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Lancashire. We built the brand, website and application pack, and coached the interview.

  • CQC registration

    Breathe Healthcare

    We built their full application pack and prepared their registered manager and nominated individual for the fit person interview. Registered first time.

  • CQC registration

    Quality CareZone Services

    One founder in Staffordshire acting as both registered manager and nominated individual. Business plan, statement of purpose, policies and interview coaching, then a first time pass.

  • Your service next

    Tell us where you are and we will map out your route to registration.

    Book a consultation
Read more client success stories
Client reviews

What care providers say about our CQC registration support

Registered managers, nominated individuals and new providers describe working with us, in their own words, on Trustpilot and Google.

Moving slowly. Hover, tap or press Pause to read.

  • First of all i want to give Millicent…

    First of all i want to give Millicent her flowers. I recently became a registered manager ( OLIVE BRANCH CARE & SUPPORT LTD) because of her. She knows her stuff, she takes you through the whole process, the Q&A with encouragement and guidance. I am usually a nerve wreck, but I made it. I couldn't not have wished for a better person than her. THANK YOU MILLICENT. YOU ARE THE BEST.
  • Excellent Support Throughout Our CQC Registration Journey

    Care Sync Experts provided excellent support throughout our CQC registration journey for Tailored Healthcare 4 You Limited. The team was professional, knowledgeable and very supportive throughout the process. They provided valuable guidance with our application, policies, supporting documents and preparation for the CQC registration process. What I particularly appreciated was their willingness to answer questions, explain requirements clearly and provide support whenever we needed clarification. Their guidance helped us navigate what can be a detailed and demanding registration process with greater confidence. We are very grateful for their contribution towards the successful CQC registration of our company and would happily recommend Care Sync Experts to other care providers looking for professional CQC registration support. Thank you to the entire team for your continued support.
  • Thanks to Care Sync Experts

    Care Sync Experts supported with well tailored documentations for the CQC application, good prep/training for the CQC interview and prompt communication throughout the CQC registration stages which led to the success of Novaedge application I had an excellent experience working with Care Sync Experts on my CQC registration application. From the very beginning, their team demonstrated exceptional professionalism, knowledge, and commitment to ensuring my application met the required CQC standards. They provided clear guidance throughout the entire process, helped me prepare all the necessary documentation, and ensured I was fully ready for every stage of the application. Their attention to detail, prompt communication, and willingness to answer every question gave me confidence and made what could have been a stressful process much smoother. I truly appreciated their personalised support and expertise. Thanks to their dedication, I felt well-prepared throughout my CQC registration journey. I would confidently recommend Care Sync Experts to anyone seeking reliable and professional support with CQC registration and healthcare compliance.
  • The Experience that I have had with…care sync was a 5 star experience

    The Experience that I have had with Care Sync experts is so excellent and effortless. Care sync experts assisted me with the CQC registration of my company. It was a 5 star experience. Coming from a healthcare background myself, I worked with a group of dedicated experts who knows what there are doing. I will like to thank Colin who handled my registration process with the Care sync expert team in such a way that the process looked so simple.
  • Care Sync Experts are reliable

    Care Sync Experts are reliable, honest and operate with integrity. All the staff are knowledgeable and supportive whenever you need guidance. I recommend them for all those loking for CQC support services.
  • I am genuinely grateful that I chose Care Sync

    I am genuinely grateful that I chose Care Sync Experts to support me in establishing my domiciliary care company, Precious Care. From my very first conversation with them, it was clear that they truly understood my needs. Their knowledge, expertise, and professionalism were evident from the start—they really do live up to their name. The support provided to me and my wider team was exceptional and truly limitless. No matter how small the question, they were always available, approachable, and ready to help. From day one, Millicent and Collins made us feel valued and important. Speaking with them felt like talking to people I had known for years—warm, reassuring, and always willing to go the extra mile. Every phone call ended with clarity and confidence. Millicent’s guidance, training, and ongoing support were outstanding and made the entire process smooth and stress‑free. Without hesitation, I would recommend Care Sync Experts as the go‑to professionals for anyone seeking EXPERT support in this field.
  • CQC interview confidence building

    I found the material I was given very informative. This helped build my confidence during my CQC interview preparation. The staff responded to my inquiries timeously
  • 100% Support: How Care Sync Experts Made Our CQC Certification A Reality

    I couldn’t be more grateful for Care Sync experts exceptional support during our CQC interview presentations. From the very beginning, Millicent and Collins were not only professional but also incredibly approachable and dedicated. Every time we needed assistance, they were right there ready to help with guidance, expert advice, and all the information required to ensure our success. When our interview dates kept changing, Care Sync flexibility truly set them apart. They rescheduled sessions without hesitation and even provided extra sessions, going far beyond what we had paid for. Their unwavering commitment was a crucial factor in us achieving our CQC certification. Thanks to their 100% support, Victory Growth Care Services is now proudly registered with CQC. I wholeheartedly recommend Care Sync expats for anyone looking for top-notch, dependable support in navigating the complexities of CQC interviews. Their team truly makes a difference!
  • Outstanding Tender Writing Services

    I recently used Care Sync Experts for the first time to complete a tender, and I am thrilled to say that they won it for me! Their team is absolutely brilliant. They took care of everything with professionalism and expertise, making the whole process smooth and successful. I would 100% recommend Care Sync Experts to any provider looking for someone to write their tender. Their work is of a high standard, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.
  • Outstanding Service and Exceptional Results!

    I had the pleasure of working with Care Sync Experts for various projects, including website development, tender submissions, and branding materials such as brochures and leaflets. From start to finish, their professionalism and attention to detail have been nothing short of remarkable. They designed and developed my website with a keen understanding of my needs, creating a sleek, user-friendly platform that perfectly represents my brand. But they didn't stop there, their expertise in handling tenders is unparalleled. Of the six tenders they managed for me, they won five. This impressive success rate speaks volumes about their strategic approach and deep industry knowledge. I highly recommend Care Sync Experts to anyone looking for top notch services in web development, tender management, and branding. They have truly elevated my business, and I look forward to continuing our partnership!

Go deeper on CQC registration

This page is the overview. Each of these five guides takes one part of CQC registration and covers it in full.

  • What the CQC returns an application for

    Who the February 2026 rules affect, what makes the CQC send an application straight back, the supporting documents set out service by service, and the registered manager requirements, form and interview.

  • CQC registration for domiciliary care

    The route for a home care agency: who has to register, the sole trader option, the two stage application process, the 2026 homecare document pack, and the submission mechanics that decide whether your application is read or returned.

  • CQC registration for supported living

    Where supported living differs from a care home, how the Real Tenancy Test decides whether the CQC accepts your model, what the fit person interview covers, and an anti-rejection checklist.

  • How much CQC registration costs

    The annual fee worked through for each service type, set against the real start-up costs, with a typical budget for a new domiciliary care provider.

  • How long CQC registration takes

    What happens at each stage, what the CQC checks before it registers anyone, what actually causes delays, and how to apply without adding to them.

CQC Registration FAQs

Last reviewed

To be CQC registered you need a legal entity (a sole trader, partnership or organisation), a nominated individual if you are an organisation, a registered manager for most services, enhanced DBS checks for the people named, a location you can legally occupy, and a statement of purpose with the supporting documents CQC lists. You then send CQC's provider application, your registered manager's application and every supporting document together by email.
It costs nothing to apply for CQC registration. Once registered, a domiciliary care agency or supported living service pays an annual fee of £239 per location plus £54.305 for each person it supports, so an agency supporting 25 people pays £1,596.63 a year. Budget separately for DBS checks, insurance, policies and any registration support. Our fixed registration package is £4,000 plus VAT.
The five things CQC checks are whether a service is safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs and well led. These are CQC's five key questions. At registration, CQC looks for evidence that your service will meet all five from the day it opens.
CQC requirements are the legal standards in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, known as the fundamental standards. They cover person-centred care, dignity and respect, consent, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, nutrition, premises and equipment, complaints, good governance, staffing, fit and proper staff and the duty of candour. You must show you can meet them to be registered, and keep meeting them afterwards.
CQC aims to send its decision about ten weeks after it validates your application, and says the whole process can take a few months. Preparation comes before that: the DBS check for the main contact can take up to 60 days on its own. If you cannot agree assessment dates within 28 days of CQC contacting you, your application may be returned.
You apply by completing CQC's application forms and emailing them, with all your supporting documents, to hsca_applications@cqc.org.uk. New provider and manager applications stopped going through the provider portal on 18 November 2024. Emails over 25MB are not delivered, so zip the files or split them. CQC asks applicants to complete the application themselves.
Every provider applicant sends a statement of purpose, a consent policy and procedure, governance and quality assurance policies, safeguarding, infection prevention and control, medicines, complaints, recruitment, and equality, diversity and human rights policies, a public and employer's liability insurance quote or certificate, and a building control final certificate where one applies. Home care and supported living applicants add a business plan and financial forecast, evidence of legal occupancy, a service user guide, a staff training plan and the additional personal care form. Services for autistic people and people with a learning disability also send positive behaviour support and restraint policies.
Yes. Applications that are not complete and accurate when CQC receives them are returned without a full assessment, and for homecare a resubmission counts as a new application and loses its place in the queue. CQC can also propose to refuse registration after assessing you if it is not satisfied your service will be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.
You can check whether a provider is CQC registered by searching its name or postcode on the CQC website. Each registered provider has a public profile showing its locations, regulated activities and latest rating, and services that have been rated must display their rating.
No. CQC only regulates services in England. In Wales you register with Care Inspectorate Wales, in Scotland with the Care Inspectorate, and in Northern Ireland with the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.
No. CQC publishes its forms and guidance free, and many providers apply on their own. Help is worth paying for when you have not run a regulated service before, when staff, premises or a contract are waiting on your registration, or when an application has already been returned.
No. Only CQC decides whether to register a provider, so any consultant who guarantees registration is promising something they do not control. What a consultant can do is help you send an application that is complete, consistent and specific to your service, which is what CQC checks first.
No. CQC's current supporting documents guidance excludes home care agencies and supported living services from the financial viability statement requirement. These applicants still send a business plan and financial forecast instead.
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