CQC Regulation 12 · Safe care and treatment
CQC Regulation 12: safe care and treatment
Regulation 12 requires care to be provided in a safe way. Providers must assess risks to people's health and safety, do everything reasonably practicable to reduce them, make sure staff are competent, manage medicines properly, and prevent and control infection.
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Last reviewed: 28 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 providers. For care homes it also covers premises and equipment used in care; for domiciliary care it covers risks in the person's home that affect how care is delivered.
What providers should consider
- Are risk assessments (falls, pressure ulcers, choking, moving and handling, environment) current and reflected in the plan?
- Is medication support recorded accurately, with MAR charts checked regularly?
- Are staff trained and assessed as competent for the tasks they perform, including medication?
- Are infection prevention and control practices audited?
- Are incidents investigated so that risks are reduced, not just recorded?
What evidence may be relevant
- Risk assessments and review records
- MAR chart audits and medication error investigations
- Medication competency assessments
- Infection prevention and control audits
- Incident and accident logs with actions and learning
- Equipment checks (e.g. hoists, slings) where relevant
Common areas to review
- Gaps or unexplained codes on MAR charts
- PRN medicines without clear protocols
- Risk assessments not reviewed after a fall
- Missed home care visits involving time-critical medication
Internal audit questions
- 1.In a sample of MAR charts, how many have gaps, and was each gap investigated?
- 2.Were risk assessments reviewed after every incident in the period?
- 3.What proportion of staff giving medication have an in-date competency assessment?
- 4.Did the latest infection control audit's actions get completed on time?
- 5.Were any missed visits involving medication identified, and what was the immediate response?
Practical checklist
- Risk assessments current and linked to care plans
- MAR audits completed monthly with actions
- Medication competency in date for all relevant staff
- PRN protocols in place
- IPC audit completed and actions closed
- Incidents investigated with learning recorded
How MyCareCompliance can help
Run the Medication / MAR Audit, Risk Assessments Audit, Falls Management, Infection Prevention & Control and Missed Visits audits on a monthly schedule. Each failed check becomes an improvement action with its source, root cause and a named person who verifies it.
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.