A focused review of an agreed sample, based on current published guidance. You receive a clear report and action plan. This is private, independent support, not an official CQC judgement.
A consultant can check an agreed sample and see whether records, practice and leadership tell the same story. Only CQC can use its regulatory powers and 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.
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.
These prices are guides, not instant quotes. Service size, sample, locations, delivery, travel, urgency and reporting needs are agreed before work starts.
For an independent view of one domiciliary care service using an agreed mix of records and other information.
For an approaching inspection, rating concern, active improvement plan or more complex need for change.
For one concern involving medicines, care records and risk, staff checks or data protection.
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.
Follow the agreed questions across records, systems, feedback, discussions and observation where included.
Separate good practice from gaps and link important findings to what was actually checked.
Put work in risk order, name an owner and state what will prove the action is complete and working.
Use only general service details, approximate size, areas to review and timing. Do not send names, health details, care records or private letters from a regulator through the public form.
Strong claims are easy to make. These questions show whether the work is focused, current, safe and useful after the consultant leaves.
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, honest limits, good practice, findings ordered by risk and useful actions.
Agree how urgent concerns will be raised and keep safeguarding, clinical and legal duties with the right people.
These answers are intentionally specific. If your deadline, risk or service model changes the answer, that should be discussed before the work is agreed.
Read all service questionsIt is an independent review of an agreed sample of your service's records and practice. It can identify good work, connected gaps and improvement priorities, but it is not an official CQC inspection.
No. CQC alone makes regulatory decisions and determines ratings. A private review cannot reproduce all of CQC's information, powers or decision-making.
Leadership checks, care records and risk, medicines, staff checks, incidents, complaints, safeguarding, feedback, data protection and improvement records can be included. The exact sample and exclusions are confirmed before work.
Reviews can be remote, on-site or a mix of both. The right method depends on the question, sample, need for observation, travel, timing and cost.
The guide price for a whole-service CQC compliance audit is £650–£1,250. Wider inspection-readiness and improvement support is usually £850–£1,750. You receive a fixed written quote after the work is agreed.
You will usually receive a summary of what was checked, good practice, findings linked to the sample, risk priorities, an action plan and a closing discussion. The written quote lists exactly what is included.
No. Do not send names, care records, health details or private letters from a regulator through the public enquiry. We agree separately who can access records, how they are shared, how long they are kept and when they are deleted.
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.
