An independent review of an agreed sample, with a report and action plan. Add correction support and a re-audit where needed. This is private support for improvement, not an official CQC judgement.
A consultant can compare an agreed sample of records, practice and other evidence. The report explains what was checked and its limits; it does not verify every part of a service. Only CQC can issue an official judgement or rating.
CQC's Regulation 17 guidance says providers need effective leadership and audit systems that check quality, monitor risk and drive improvement. A useful audit should find risk, trigger action and show whether change worked. It should not simply imitate an inspection.
CQC's current published framework keeps five key questions and groups the information it considers into six categories. A private review checks only what you agree. The categories guide the work; they do not recreate a CQC assessment.
Safeguarding, medicines, incidents, staffing and how risks are managed.
Assessment, consent, staff competence, results and joined-up working.
Dignity, choice, involvement, communication and person-centred detail.
Reviews, changing needs, complaints, access and continuity of care.
Leadership, culture, learning, improvement and how progress is checked.
The relevant mix depends on the service, question and delivery method.
See the nine audit areas, including rota and call checks and service user money records. Money-handling reviews concern care compliance and safeguarding, not accountancy, tax, investment or FCA-regulated financial advice.
CQC is testing revised approaches for different care sectors during 2026 while current assessments continue. The written review plan should name the guidance used on the review date and should not treat test material as final.
We quote for the work you need. Your written quote confirms the records, review time, delivery, travel, follow-up and final price.
For an independent view across agreed service areas, using a risk-based sample of records and other information.
For readiness or improvement work across relevant areas. The guide range is sample-based, not an unlimited service.
Choose from nine audit areas, including care records, medicines, workforce, safeguarding, rota and calls, money handling, quality and governance.
Services supporting 100+ people, multiple locations, several months of records or substantial correction work need a bespoke quote. Monthly monitoring is quoted for the checks and support you need. Read the client agreement before booking.
Timing depends on what you want checked and when the information is available. The steps must be clear before you book or share records that identify anyone.
Write down the concern, service, sample, what is excluded, how the review will run, timing, price and report.
Check a risk-based sample of records, feedback and discussions, with observation where agreed. Recommend a wider review if serious or repeated concerns need it.
Separate good practice from gaps and link important findings to what was actually checked.
Complete the correction support booked, then recheck updated evidence within the agreed allowance. Record closed and open actions, with monitoring if arranged.
Corrections must use genuine evidence and the provider’s authority. No evidence is invented or falsely backdated. The provider retains care, clinical and regulatory decisions. See the six-stage process.
Use only general service details, approximate size, areas to review and timing. Agree the quote, sign the client agreement and confirm the safe records-sharing route before care data is shared. Do not send care records or health details through the public form.
Strong claims are easy to make. These questions show whether the work is focused, current, safe and useful after the review ends.
Ask who will do the work, what relevant experience they have and whether any conflict exists. Do not accept a vague reference to “experts”.
Confirm which records and other sources will be used, how much will be checked, how the sample is chosen and what is excluded before comparing prices.
Ask how current guidance, 2026 changes still in development and the provider's own policies are kept separate.
Agree who can access records, how they are shared, how long they are kept, when they are deleted and who is responsible before sharing anything.
Expect a clear sample, limits, findings and actions with owners, dates and evidence needed. Confirm any correction support and re-audit allowance.
Agree how urgent concerns will be raised and keep safeguarding, clinical and legal duties with the right people.
Confirm your deadline, concerns and service size before booking. The written quote explains what can be completed and what is outside the review.
Read all service questionsIt is a private review of an agreed sample of records, practice and other evidence. It can identify good work, gaps and improvement priorities, but it is not an official CQC inspection and does not check every part of a service.
No. CQC alone makes regulatory decisions and determines ratings. A private review cannot reproduce all of CQC's information, powers or decision-making.
The review can draw on the nine audit areas, from care and medicines records to workforce, safeguarding, rotas, money handling, quality and governance. The sample, time period, delivery method and exclusions are agreed in writing. Serious or repeated concerns may lead to a recommendation for wider work.
Reviews can be remote, on-site or blended. The method depends on the review questions, records, need for observation, timing and cost. The written quote confirms the method and any travel.
There is no fixed price for a CQC audit or readiness review. We quote for the records, review time, delivery and follow-up you need, then agree the final price in writing before you book.
Yes, where agreed. The quote can include correction support and a re-audit of updated evidence, with clear time, task and sample allowances. Corrections must use genuine evidence and provider approval, without invention or false backdating. Care, clinical and regulatory decisions remain with the provider.
The agreed report explains the sample, findings and limits, with an action plan showing priorities, owners, dates and evidence needed for completion. Where booked, you also receive a record of corrections, re-audit results and monitoring updates.
No. Use general service details only. Agree the scope and quote, sign the client agreement and confirm the safe access, sharing, retention and deletion arrangements before care data is provided.
CQC's framework and improvement work can change. Check the current official position before a major action. Use this page to understand the service, not as regulatory or legal advice.
Responsible publisher Ghulam Rasul SafiMethod Content standardsStart with an anonymous review plan or request a private discussion. You will receive a recommendation, likely timing and written quote before work begins.
