Guide
CQC inspection checklist
Inspections rarely fail on a single missing document. They expose whether a service can show, in records, what it says it does. This checklist follows the five key questions and names the evidence most often sampled.
Safe
Safeguarding is the first area tested, and the evidence must be current.
- Safeguarding policy, referrals log and outcomes, with learning recorded
- Risk assessments that are individual, current and reviewed after incidents
- Medication records, competency assessments and error reporting
- Infection prevention and control audits and cleaning records
- Accident and incident records with analysis of themes
Effective
Show that staff are trained and that people's outcomes are monitored.
- Mandatory training matrix with completion and expiry dates
- Induction records and Care Certificate progress
- Mental capacity assessments and best-interest decisions
- Nutrition, hydration and health monitoring records
- Evidence of working with GPs, district nurses and other professionals
Caring
Evidence here is largely about voice and dignity, and is often thinner than providers expect.
- Care plans written with the person, in their own words where possible
- Records of consent and preferences being followed
- Feedback from people using the service and their families
- Evidence of advocacy involvement where appropriate
Responsive
Show that the service adapts when needs or wishes change.
- Care plan reviews after changes in need
- Complaints log with responses, timescales and learning
- Accessible information and communication support
- End of life planning where relevant
Well-led
This is where most enforcement originates. The chain from audit to action to evidence must be visible.
- Audit schedule and completed audits for the last 12 months
- Quality improvement plan with owners, dates and completion evidence
- Governance and board or provider meeting minutes
- Notifications to CQC and statutory notifications log
- Staff files, including DBS, right to work, references and fit and proper persons checks
The week before
Print nothing new. Instead, check that the last three months of audits are complete, that no action is overdue without explanation, that training and DBS expiries are clear, and that the registered manager can locate any document within a minute.
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