The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
They make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to improve.
The CQC does this by:
Registering care services
Carrying out inspections
Publishing reports on the quality of care
Taking action to protect the public if we find a service isn’t safe or good enough
CQC registration is a way of showing that a service meets essential standards of quality and safety.
All organisations that provide regulated activities must be registered with us.
If you’re thinking about registering a care service, you must first check that the activities you want to provide are regulated.
You can then apply for registration online.
The registration process includes:
Paying a fee
Verifying your identity
Completing an application form
Supplying supporting information
After you have submitted your application, we will:
Carry out background checks
Assess whether the service is suitable for registration
If your application is successful, we will grant registration and issue a registration certificate.
The registration certificate shows the name and registered address of the provider, the site address (if different from the registered address), and the date of registration.
It also lists the regulated activities that the provider can carry out at that location.
Registration is not a quality assurance award or accreditation, and it does not guarantee the standard of care provided.
However, it does mean that the service has been assessed as suitable to provide care and that it is legally allowed to operate.
If you’re not sure whether you need to register with us, you can contact us for advice.