If you work in England and provide social care services then, by law, you must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
This includes people who:
work in registered care homes
provide domiciliary care
work in supported living accommodation
are personal assistants
If you provide social care services and are not registered with the CQC, you may be breaking the law and could be prosecuted.
There are a few exceptions to registration, for example if you only provide care for friends or family, or if you only provide care services that are not regulated by the CQC (such as hair and beauty services).