CQC Inspections Are Increasing: Is Your Care Service Ready?
- Jasmyn Care Ltd
- Jul 1
- 4 min read
Following the recent ITV News investigation into disability and social care services, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has confirmed that inspection activity across England is increasing in 2026.
For social care providers across the UK, the writing is on the wall. To restore public trust, the regulator is gearing up for a significant increase in inspections, with a renewed focus on unannounced visits and real-world observations.
With more frequent visits, deeper evidence checks, and a stronger focus on safety and leadership, care providers must be ready to demonstrate high‑quality, transparent, person‑centred care at all times.
Here’s what providers need to know, and how they can prepare.
Quick Links
Shift the Focus to Lived Experience & Staff Interactions
The CQC admitted they missed real-world failures following the investigation.
Therefore, inspectors are going to spend less time looking at policies and more time observing.
What providers must do: Conduct internal "mystery shopper" style observations. Watch how staff interact with residents with learning disabilities when they don't think they are being monitored. Is communication dignified? Are choices respected?
The Action Item: Train staff to naturally articulate why they do things a certain way, rather than just pointing to a care plan document.
Increase Transparency with Incident and Complaint Logging
A major trigger for the CQC's admission was families feeling ignored. Inspectors will be hunting for "near misses" and hidden complaints.
What providers must do: Audit your complaints log immediately. If a service has zero logged complaints over six months, inspectors won't think you're perfect—they will assume you are hiding or suppressing feedback.
The Action Item: Show a clear, audited trail of how a complaint was received, how it was investigated, and what structural changes were made to prevent it from happening again. Continuous learning is a "Good" or "Outstanding" trait.
Engage with Family & Advocates
Since it was a massive coalition of families that forced this regulatory shift, the CQC will likely place a much heavier emphasis on interviewing relatives during inspections.
What providers must do: Don't wait for the CQC to ask families how you are doing. Establish regular, open-door forums, feedback surveys, and relative support groups now.
The Action Item: If a family is unhappy about something, address it collaboratively before it ever escalates to an external safeguarding alert or CQC notification.
Conduct Mock Inspections Continuously
With unannounced inspections likely to rise to restore public trust, "inspection day" needs to feel like any other Tuesday.
What providers must do: Run unannounced internal mock inspections. Bring in managers from sister sites or external consultants to audit the service with a completely fresh, critical eye.
The Action Item: Focus heavily on the CQC’s Quality Statements, specifically under the "Safe" and "Well-Led" key questions, as these are where the investigation highlighted the most severe breakdowns.
A Ready-to-Use Checklist
Area of Focus | Immediate Action Required |
Observational Audits | Spend 1 hour a week purely observing staff-to-resident interaction in communal areas. |
Evidence Gathering | Keep a "CQC Evidence Box" (digital or physical) capturing daily wins, positive family emails, and co-production examples. |
Staff Briefings | Hold 10-minute huddles to ensure all staff understand what to do, who to call, and where documents are kept if an inspector walks in unannounced. |
Closed-Culture Screen | Actively review the service against the CQC's "Closed Cultures" guidance to ensure the environment is open, transparent, and integrated into the community. |
Other things to prepare
Review your quality assurance systems: Good governance should be part of everyday practice. Ask yourself are audits completed regularly? are actions followed up? are incidents investigated? are lessons learned shared with staff? are complaints and compliments reviewed?
Ensure staff training is up to date: Check that mandatory training is current, also check competency assessments are completed where appropriate. including:
Check your staffing levels: Having enough skilled staff on every shift is essential for delivering safe care. Staff shortages can impact every aspect of care—from medication rounds to response times and record keeping.
Make sure care plans are people-centred: Inspectors will expect care records to be person-centred, accurate, up to date, reviewed regularly and easy for staff to follow. A care plan written months ago may no longer reflect someone's current needs.
Keep accurate records: including daily notes, medication records, risk assessments, fluid charts, incident reports, staff supervision records. Good record keeping protects both the individual receiving care and the provider.
Actively listen to feedback from residents, service users, families, staff and healthcare professionals.
Build a positive culture: ask yourself if staff feel confident raising concerns? are managers visible and supportive? are mistakes treated as learning opportunities? is kindness recognised and celebrated?
How Recruitment Supports Compliance
Even the best policies cannot compensate for insufficient staffing. Reliable, well-trained professionals help providers:
Deliver consistent care.
Reduce pressure on permanent teams.
Maintain safe staffing levels.
Respond to unexpected absences.
Continue delivering high-quality care during busy periods.
For many providers, having access to dependable temporary staff forms an important part of maintaining compliance and ensuring continuity of care.
Is Your Service Looking for Additional Staffing Support?
Whether you need temporary cover, last-minute shift support or longer-term workforce solutions, Jasmyn Care Ltd can help.
Our experienced Healthcare Assistants, Support Workers and Care Professionals are committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality care while supporting your organisation's commitment to regulatory compliance.
Contact Jasmyn Care Ltd today to discuss your staffing requirements.
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