New analysis shows over 70% of homecare providers lack current ratings, with situation worsening since 2024 report
Embargoed until 00:01 Wednesday 10 September 2025
The Homecare Association warns that the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) regulation of homecare has worsened in the past 12 months, with the inspection backlog growing and fewer people able to rely on current ratings when choosing care. People needing or receiving home-based support and care are at heightened risk from a lack of effective regulation because unsafe or poor-quality care continues undetected.
The follow-up report, CQC regulatory performance in homecare one year on, reveals that 70.3% of community social care providers now have either never been rated by the CQC (33.5%) or have ratings that are 4-8+ years old (36.8%). This represents a worsening from the 60% reported in the Association's August 2024 analysis.
Key findings include:
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The number of uninspected homecare locations has risen by 64% in just 14 months, from 2,879 to 4,727.
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Total registered community social care locations grew from 12,574 to 14,137, meaning the queue is bigger and moving slower.
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At current inspection rates of 81 per month, the backlog will never be cleared and is growing by 312 (no growth in locations) to 424 locations monthly (current rate of growth of locations).
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Only 29.7% of homecare locations currently have up-to-date CQC ratings.
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Without urgent action, coverage could drop to just 11% by 2035, meaning almost nine in ten services would lack a current, independent quality assessment.
The analysis also examined 1,052 inspection reports of homecare services published between July 2024 and August 2025, revealing that the CQC identifies genuine quality differentiation when inspections do take place - from Outstanding services demonstrating "compassionate, person-centred support" to Inadequate services with "fundamental safety and governance failures."
However, commissioners continue to struggle with procurement decisions when a third of potential providers lack current ratings. Some councils are now contracting with unrated providers, which is a risk, while others exclude them, preventing potentially good providers from contributing, creating market distortions.
Dr Jane Townson OBE, Chief Executive of the Homecare Association, said:
"One year on, the picture is stark: the CQC is falling further behind in regulating homecare. People relying on care at home, their families, and councils commissioning services cannot make safe, informed choices when most providers have no current rating, and good providers are being squeezed out of the market in some places by cheap, unrated competitors.
“The CQC must increase inspection throughput at least fivefold just to prevent coverage declining further — and by 8 to 14 times to clear the backlog quickly while maintaining a three-year review cycle.
“Evidence shows that when CQC inspections do take place, they identify important quality differences - from excellent services that 'go above and beyond' to those with serious safety failings. This makes the current inspection gaps even more concerning for public protection.
“At current rates, we are heading towards a future where nine in ten homecare services will lack a current quality rating. This is simply unacceptable for a sector supporting hundreds of thousands of people with complex needs who are at risk of harm from unsafe, poor-quality care. Urgent intervention is needed before the situation deteriorates beyond repair.”
The report makes recommendations for urgent action, including implementing surge capacity to clear the backlog and conducting an independent review of resources needed for effective regulation.
The analysis follows the government's ongoing review into the CQC's operational effectiveness, led by Dr Penny Dash, which published a final report in October 2024 highlighting similar concerns about poor operational performance and IT system challenges.
ENDS
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