Audit template
Missed Visits Audit
Every missed visit reviewed for cause, impact, notification and preventative action. This template runs monthly in MyCareCompliance and carries 8 mapped checks across 7 CQC quality statements.
Last reviewed: September 2026. This guidance reflects CQC information available at the date above — always refer to cqc.org.uk for current regulatory requirements.
What the audit covers
Every question in the Missed Visits Audit is mapped to a CQC quality statement and the underlying regulation, so a failed check tells you exactly which part of the single assessment framework is at risk. This is one of the core templates we recommend for every provider.
- Runs monthly — core template
- Part of the Operations & service delivery audit category
- Maps to 7 regulations: Regulation 17 — Good governance, Regulation 18 — Staffing, Regulation 12 — Safe care and treatment, Regulation 13 — Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment, Regulation 9 — Person-centred care, Notifications (Registration Regulation 18) — Notification of other incidents, Regulation 20 — Duty of candour
- Failed checks become tracked improvement actions with an owner, due date and evidence
The 8 checks
Learning culture
Safe — 1 check- Regulation 17 — Good governanceMissed Visits Audit
Is a thorough Root Cause Analysis (RCA) completed for every missed visit to determine exactly why the failure occurred?
What we look for: Review the investigation for recent missed visits. Ensure it digs into the 'why' (e.g., rostering error, staff no-show, car breakdown, ECM failure). A fail is superficial investigations that blame 'human error' without fixing the system.
Evidence: Investigation reports, Root Cause Analysis forms, Staff interview notes, ECM audit logs
Safe and effective staffing
Safe — 1 check- Regulation 18 — StaffingMissed Visits Audit
Is the rostering and scheduling system actively monitored to identify unallocated visits or overlapping travel times that could cause a missed visit?
What we look for: Review the rostering system for the past month. Check that sufficient travel time is allocated and that no visits are left unallocated 24 hours prior. A fail is finding 'ghost' rotas or crammed schedules that make missed visits inevitable.
Evidence: Rostering system dashboard, Staff rotas, Travel time allocations, Unallocated visit reports
Safe systems, pathways and transitions
Safe — 1 check- Regulation 12 — Safe care and treatmentMissed Visits Audit
Are all missed visits logged accurately and escalated immediately in line with the provider's missed visits and emergency response policy?
What we look for: Sample 3-5 recent missed visits or late calls. Check that the office/on-call team responded immediately to ECM alerts or client calls. A fail is if visits are missed without an immediate welfare check or escalation process being followed.
Evidence: Missed visit log, On-call logs, ECM (Electronic Call Monitoring) alerts, Incident reports
Safeguarding
Safe — 1 check- Regulation 13 — Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatmentMissed Visits Audit
Have all missed visits been assessed against local safeguarding thresholds and reported to the Local Authority safeguarding team where appropriate?
What we look for: Review records of missed visits. Verify that the manager assessed whether the missed visit caused neglect or harm, and raised a safeguarding alert if it met the local threshold. A fail is missed visits involving vulnerable people not being reported.
Evidence: Safeguarding log, Incident reports, Local Authority referral forms, Care notes
Assessing needs
Effective — 1 check- Regulation 9 — Person-centred careMissed Visits Audit
Are care plans and individual risk assessments updated following a missed visit if environmental or access factors contributed to the issue?
What we look for: If a visit was missed due to a faulty key safe, locked gate, or the client not hearing the door, check that the care plan/risk assessment was immediately updated with new instructions. A fail is recurring access issues not being risk assessed.
Evidence: Updated care plans, Key safe records, Environmental risk assessments, Care reviews
Governance, management and sustainability
Well-led — 2 checks- Notifications (Registration Regulation 18) — Notification of other incidentsMissed Visits Audit
Where a missed visit caused harm or met the threshold for a statutory notification, has the CQC been notified without delay?
What we look for: Cross-reference the missed visit log with CQC notifications. If a missed visit resulted in police/ambulance attendance or serious injury, check that a notification was submitted. A fail is missing mandatory CQC notifications.
Evidence: CQC notification portal records, Incident reports, Provider's notification log
- Regulation 20 — Duty of candourMissed Visits Audit
Has the Duty of Candour been applied appropriately where a missed visit resulted in a notifiable safety incident?
What we look for: If any missed visit resulted in moderate or severe harm, verify that a formal Duty of Candour letter was sent, offering an apology and explaining the investigation. A fail is failure to formally apologise and document it in writing.
Evidence: Duty of Candour letters, Communication logs with families, Incident investigation files
Learning, improvement and innovation
Well-led — 1 check- Regulation 17 — Good governanceMissed Visits Audit
Does the Registered Manager analyse missed visit data monthly to identify trends and implement preventative actions across the service?
What we look for: Review the latest monthly quality assurance report. Look for analysis of missed visits by run, staff member, time of day, or geographical area. A fail is treating missed visits as isolated incidents without looking for operational trends.
Evidence: Monthly quality reports, Management meeting minutes, Trend analysis charts, Action plans
See it running for your service
Book a free demonstration and we will run the Missed Visits Audit against scenarios from a service like yours, or start your 7-day trial and try it yourself.
See it with your own service
Book a free demonstration and we will walk through the platform using scenarios from a service like yours.