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Infection prevention and control in adult social care

Regulation 12 requires providers to assess and prevent the risk of infection. The Department of Health and Social Care code of practice on the prevention and control of infections sets out how, and CQC refers to it when assessing IPC.

MyCareCompliance brings practical CQC audits, evidence, workforce oversight and improvement actions into one platform for adult social care providers.

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7 days free. Plans from £24.99 per organisation per month, inclusive of VAT. Features vary by plan. Compare plans and trial terms.

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

All adult social care providers, including care homes, home care and supported living.

What good IPC includes

A named IPC lead with time and training for the role
IPC policies that staff know and follow
Regular IPC audits, including hand hygiene and environment
Cleaning schedules and records
Correct use and disposal of personal protective equipment
Outbreak management plans and links with local health protection teams
Staff training and competency checks

Internal audit questions

1.Is there a named IPC lead?
2.Has an IPC audit been completed at the planned frequency?
3.Are cleaning records complete?
4.Do staff know what to do in an outbreak?

Practical checklist

IPC lead named
IPC audit completed and actions closed
Cleaning schedules signed
Outbreak plan reviewed

How MyCareCompliance can help

MyCareCompliance includes an Infection Prevention & Control audit template. Findings become actions with owners, and training records show who is up to date.

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.

Compliance Centre showing overall score and domain ratings for a care service — Compliance Centre — one snapshot of where the service stands today.

Audit register listing scheduled and completed CQC audits with due dates — Audit programme — scheduled, completed and overdue audits in one register.

Improvement action plan with owners, priorities and due dates — Improvement plan — findings become actions with an owner and a deadline.

Workforce compliance records showing DBS, right to work and training expiry status — Workforce compliance — DBS, right to work, training and supervision expiry.

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.

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MyCareCompliance does not guarantee a CQC rating or inspection outcome.