Audits · Person-centred care
Care plan audit
A care plan audit asks two questions: does the plan describe this person, and is the plan what actually happens? Inspectors test both by reading a plan, then talking to the person, their family and staff, and reading daily notes. Your audit should do the same.
MyCareCompliance brings practical CQC audits, evidence, workforce oversight and improvement actions into one platform for adult social care providers.
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Last reviewed: 30 September 2026. Independent guidance from AJG Advisory — not official CQC guidance. Always check the official sources listed below for current requirements.
Who it applies to
All CQC-registered adult social care services that write care or support plans — care homes, domiciliary care, supported living and complex care.
What a good plan shows
- What matters to the person, in their words where possible, not just their conditions
- How they like support to be given, including routines, communication and culture
- Their involvement and consent, or mental capacity assessment and best interests decision where needed
- Links to current risk assessments
- Clear outcomes or goals that can be reviewed
- A review date, and evidence the plan was reviewed after any change such as a hospital stay or fall
Testing the plan against reality
- Read three to five days of daily notes: do they reflect the plan?
- Ask a staff member how they support the person — does it match?
- Speak to the person or their family about whether it feels right
- Check that changes noted in daily records led to a plan update
Common findings
- Generic wording copied between plans
- Plans not updated after hospital discharge
- Capacity 'assumed lacking' with no assessment
- Reviews signed off with no evidence of the person's involvement
Internal audit questions
- 1.Does the plan describe the person's preferences and what matters to them?
- 2.Is consent recorded, or a decision-specific capacity assessment in place?
- 3.Are risk assessments current and referenced in the plan?
- 4.Has the plan been reviewed on time and after any significant change?
- 5.Do daily records show care was given as planned?
- 6.Was the person or their representative involved in the last review?
Practical checklist
- Sample of plans selected across staff teams
- Plan read against daily records
- Staff and person asked for their view
- Gaps recorded per plan
- Actions assigned to the plan's keyworker or manager
- Re-check date set
How MyCareCompliance can help
MyCareCompliance includes a monthly Care Plan Audit template mapped to Regulation 9 and the Responsive quality statements. You can attach evidence to each finding, track actions to completion and see repeat findings across months.
Official sources
MyCareCompliance is founded by Jack Green, ACC Accredited Care Consultant, with over 10 years in adult social care and registered manager experience. Read Jack’s background.
See how the platform organises this work
Genuine product screenshots using demo data. Scores show internal assurance, not CQC ratings. Features vary by plan.
Need to manage this in your service?
Use MyCareCompliance to organise audits, actions, evidence and governance in one place. 7 days free, then from £24.99 per month for the whole organisation, inclusive of VAT. Features vary by plan.
MyCareCompliance does not guarantee a CQC rating or inspection outcome.