Knowledge centre · Inspection
What happens during a CQC inspection?
CQC assesses adult social care services under its single assessment framework. An assessment combines evidence CQC already holds with what inspectors see, hear and read during a visit. Knowing the sequence helps managers stay calm and give inspectors what they need quickly.
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: 10 October 2026. Independent guidance from AJG Advisory — not official CQC guidance. Always check the official sources listed below for current requirements.
Who it applies to
Registered managers, nominated individuals and senior staff in any CQC-registered adult social care service.
Before the visit
CQC reviews what it already knows about your service: notifications you have sent, feedback from people and families, information from local authorities and previous ratings. Most adult social care site visits are unannounced, although some community services receive short notice so that the manager is available.
On the day
- Inspectors introduce themselves, explain the scope and ask who is in charge
- They talk with people using the service, relatives and staff, and observe care
- They look at records such as care plans, medicines records, staff files, audits and incident logs
- They may ask for further information to be sent after the visit, usually with a deadline
- At the end they normally give brief verbal feedback; this is not the final judgement
After the visit
- CQC scores the evidence against the relevant quality statements
- You receive a draft report and can submit factual accuracy comments
- The final report and ratings are published on the CQC website
- If breaches of regulation are found, CQC may ask for an action plan or take enforcement action
How to make the visit go smoothly
- Keep a named person on every shift who knows where key records are
- Have your latest audits, action plan and governance report ready to show
- Brief staff that inspectors may speak to anyone and that honest answers are best
- Write down every document requested so nothing is missed afterwards
Internal audit questions
- 1.Could the person in charge today find the last three months of audits within minutes?
- 2.Do staff know who the registered manager and nominated individual are?
- 3.Are all required notifications sent and logged?
- 4.Does the improvement plan show progress since the last inspection?
Practical checklist
- Inspection-day contact list and record locations agreed
- Latest audits, action plan and governance report to hand
- Staff briefed on what to expect
- Process agreed for logging information requests
How MyCareCompliance can help
MyCareCompliance keeps audits, evidence, actions and governance reports in one place, so the person in charge can show inspectors current evidence from a single screen. The mock inspection feature lets you rehearse the process beforehand.
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.