The Care Quality Commission (CQC) recently introduced its Single Assessment Framework. The new framework simplifies and standardises inspections across health and social care. It focuses on outcomes, continuous improvement, and user experiences.
Key Changes to Ratings
The Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) are still important. The CQC looks for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led care.
The framework uses 34 concise Quality Statements, grouped under the five KLOEs.
These include:
- “I Statements” – From the perspective of people using services.
- “We Statements” – From the perspective of the provider.
A new scoring system is in use, which scores each statement on a scale of 1 to 4.
- 1: Significant shortfalls
- 2: Some shortfalls
- 3: Good standard
- 4: Exceptional standard
These scores influence the overall rating:
- Inadequate: 2+ areas rated 1
- Requires Improvement: 2+ areas rated 2
- Good: No more than 1 area rated 2, none rated 1
- Outstanding: At least 2 areas rated 4
This approach recognises consistent excellence across multiple areas.
Key Changes to Inspections
The CQC no longer relies solely on scheduled inspections. Instead, evidence is continuously collected through:
- Regular feedback from service users, families, and staff
- Digital records and reports
- Outcomes and incidents
This change means providers must ensure quality in daily operations, not just prepare for inspections.
What Does Outstanding Practice Look Like?
To receive an Outstanding CQC rating, care providers must be Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Here are some examples of how to achieve this:
Safe:
- Proactive safeguarding
- eMAR systems for medication safety
Effective:
- Staff trained beyond mandatory requirements
- E.g. dementia champions, advanced communication skills
Caring:
- Staff deliver person-centred care to all service users
- Tailoring daily routines to the service users’ preferences
Responsive:
- Creative approaches to meet emotional, social, and cultural needs
- E.g. sensory gardens, language support
Well-led:
- Regular staff feedback sessions
- Clear vision and strategy
For more examples, we recommend reading reports of Outstanding providers. Go to the CQC website, search for providers in your area, e.g. Care homes in Birmingham, and filter results by Outstanding ratings.
How Accreditation Can Help
Advantage is an independent accreditation body specialising in health and social care. We help care organisations achieve excellence in their everyday practice. Accreditation demonstrates to the CQC that your organisation is Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Here’s how:
Safe:
- Staff receive high-quality, robust training to ensure care is delivered safely
- Safeguarding training helps staff understand their duty to protect their service users
- Courses are kept up-to-date with the latest advice and best practices on topics like infection prevention and safe handling of medication
Effective:
- Accredited training is evidence-based and tailored to real-world practice
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) helps ensure staff development and encourages retention
Caring:
- Through quality training, staff gain skills in communication, empathy, and supporting independence
- Accredited equality and diversity courses help staff meet people’s emotional, social, and cultural needs
Responsive:
- Training on care planning and communication equips teams to deliver tailored support
- Accredited courses give staff confidence to handle sensitive situations with compassion and professionalism
Well-Led:
- Accreditation demonstrates strong leadership and governance
- Accredited centres show they prioritise high-quality care through structured staff development
- Centres can use our online portal to keep training records and provide evidence of staff competency
- Offering accredited CPD supports a positive workplace culture and shows leaders value their teams
Become an Accredited Centre
Advantage-accredited centres can:
- Deliver our ready-to-use health and social care courses
- Accredit your own bespoke training to our standards
- Equip staff to meet and exceed CQC expectations across all KLOEs
- Offer accredited training externally, raising your organisation’s profile
Contact us to find out how we can support you.
