What Happens During a CQC Inspection?

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection is carried out to assess whether health and social care services are delivering safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care. While inspections can feel nervy, the process itself is structured, evidence-based and consistent. 

Understanding what happens during a CQC inspection helps care providers prepare with clarity rather than anxiety.  

Our guide explains the inspection process from start to finish, based on how CQC inspections are carried out in practice. 

What is a CQC inspection? 

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care services in the UK. Its role is to monitor, inspect and rate services to ensure people receive care that meets fundamental standards of quality and safety. 

A CQC inspection gathers evidence from multiple sources to form a balanced judgement about how a service is operating day-to-day. This includes observation, conversations, and documentary evidence, rather than relying on policies alone. 

Before the inspection: how CQC prepares 

CQC does not arrive without context. Inspectors review existing information before visiting a service, including previous inspection outcomes and other intelligence held by the regulator. 

In most cases, services are given advance notice of an inspection. This allows inspectors to request information ahead of time and focus the visit on relevant areas. For GP practices and many care services, this may include requests for governance information, staffing details, or evidence of quality monitoring. 

What happens on the day of a CQC inspection 

1. Arrival and introduction 

Inspectors introduce themselves on arrival and explain: 

• who is part of the inspection team 

• what areas they will be reviewing 

• how long the inspection is expected to last 

This opening discussion helps set expectations and confirms the scope of the inspection. 

2. Observation of care and the environment 

Inspectors spend time observing how care is delivered in practice. This includes: 

• how staff interact with people using the service 

• whether care is delivered with dignity and respect 

• the safety and suitability of the environment 

Observation helps inspectors understand whether policies and procedures are reflected in real-world care delivery. 

3. Conversations with staff and people using services 

A key part of any CQC inspection is speaking directly with: 

• staff at different levels 

• people who use the service 

• relatives or visitors, where appropriate 

These conversations help inspectors understand lived experience, staff confidence, and how risks are identified and managed in everyday practice. 

4. Reviewing records and documentation 

Inspectors review a range of documents to support their findings, which may include: 

• care records and care plans 

• training and competency records 

• incident reports and risk assessments 

• policies, procedures and governance evidence 

The focus is not just on whether documentation exists, but whether it is accurate, up to date and reflective of practice. 

How inspectors use KLOEs during a CQC inspection 

All evidence gathered during the inspection is assessed using the Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs). These form the framework for how CQC judge quality and determines ratings. 

The five KLOEs are: 

• Safe – Are people protected from abuse and avoidable harm? 

• Effective – Does care achieve good outcomes and follow best practice? 

• Caring – Are people treated with kindness, dignity and respect? 

• Responsive – Are services organised around people’s needs? 

• Well-led – Does leadership support quality, learning and improvement? 

Inspectors assess how consistently a service meets expectations under each KLOE by comparing what they observe, what they are told, and what records show. 

After the inspection: feedback, ratings and reports 

Once the inspection visit is complete, inspectors review all evidence against the KLOEs before finalising their judgements. 

Services typically receive: 

• verbal feedback summarising initial findings, followed by 

• a written inspection report explaining how ratings were reached for each KLOE. 

The report highlights areas of good practice, identifies where improvement is needed, and confirms the overall service rating. Inspection reports are published and form part of the service’s public regulatory record. 

What your CQC rating means and what happens next 

CQC ratings reflect how well a service meets expectations across the KLOEs at the time of inspection. Ratings such as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate are based on consistency of practice, not isolated examples. 

If inspectors identify gaps under one or more KLOEs, the report will outline what needs to improve. This may involve: 

• strengthening leadership and oversight under Well-led, 

• improving risk management under Safe, 

• addressing training or outcomes under Effective, 

• improving person-centred planning under Responsive. 

In some cases, CQC may carry out a focused or follow-up inspection to review progress in specific KLOE areas. 

Why ongoing KLOE readiness matters 

A CQC inspection is a snapshot in time, but KLOE compliance is ongoing. Services that perform well typically: 

• monitor performance against KLOEs throughout the year, 

• review incidents, feedback and audits regularly, 

• ensure staff understand how their roles link to the KLOEs, 

• embed learning and improvement into everyday practice. 

Preparing only when an inspection is expected often exposes avoidable gaps. 

Building inspection readiness into everyday practice 

CQC inspections are not just about how well a service performs on the day inspectors arrive. They reflect how effectively risks are identified, decisions are documented, and issues are addressed over time particularly under the Safe and Well-led KLOEs. 

Services that are consistently inspection-ready tend to have clear access to guidance, confidence in decision-making, and a reliable way to sense-check actions against regulatory expectations. When managers and leaders can quickly clarify what good practice looks like, it becomes easier to resolve issues early rather than reacting under inspection pressure. 

Having access to ongoing health and safety support, such as BrightHR’s Care Navigator, can help services stay aligned with regulatory expectations by providing clear, practical guidance when questions arise not just when an inspection is approaching. If you want to see how Care Navigator supports inspection readiness in practice, you can book a free demo to explore how it fits into everyday care governance.