What the CQC ratings mean, the five key questions inspectors ask and how to read inspection reports.
The CQC inspects every care service in England and asks five key questions about the quality of care provided. Each question is rated individually, and together they form the overall rating.
Does the service protect people from abuse and avoidable harm? This includes safeguarding, medication management, infection control and the safety of the physical environment. For dementia care, this also covers the management of challenging behaviour and the prevention of wandering.
Does the service help people achieve the outcomes they want? This covers staffing levels, staff training, assessment and care planning, and the provision of evidence-based treatments. In dementia care, effective services provide activities that support cognitive function and emotional wellbeing.
Do staff treat people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect? This covers how staff involve people in decisions about their care, how they respond to emotional needs and whether they treat people as individuals.
Does the service meet people's needs? This covers how the service adapts to individual preferences, how it handles complaints and whether it provides personalised care. For dementia care, responsive services adapt activities and communication as the condition progresses.
Does the service have effective leadership? This covers governance, management, staffing culture, continuous improvement and the involvement of people who use the service. A well-led home will have clear systems for monitoring quality and responding to concerns.
Each of the five key questions, and the service as a whole, is given one of four ratings:
CQC inspection reports are public documents and are one of the most valuable tools when choosing a care home. Here's how to get the most from them:
You can search for any care home's inspection report on the CQC website.
The CQC assesses every service against five key questions: Is it safe? Is it effective? Is it caring? Is it responsive to people's needs? Is it well-led?
Inspection frequency depends on the home's rating and any risks identified. Good-rated homes are typically re-inspected within a few years, while homes rated Requires Improvement or Inadequate are re-inspected much sooner.
Yes. Ratings change when the CQC re-inspects a home. This is why we refresh our directory data every week and encourage families to check the most recent inspection report.