Homecare Association response to CQC consultation: Better regulation, better care

The Homecare Association has responded to the Care Quality Commission consultation: Better regulation, better care: Consultation on improving how we assess and rate providers.

In our response, we support sector‑specific assessment frameworks defined by service type—especially homecare—, clear rating characteristics at key question level, and a simpler Single Assessment Framework. We ask the CQC to reduce the 34 quality statements to a manageable set and to provide service‑specific examples of what good and outstanding look like. We support specialist inspectors trained in homecare contexts, with guidance that fits care delivered at home. The Association calls for every homecare service to receive a full, holistic reassessment at least once every three years, with risk‑based follow‑up in between, and a credible plan showing how the CQC will deliver this.

The Association also demands action on the inspection backlog. Based on our recent Regulatory Performance in Homecare report, the CQC currently inspects about 81 homecare services per month, while coverage requires 424. To protect people, we propose a two‑tier approach for never‑inspected services—rapid safety checks followed by full inspections within defined timeframes.

We ask the CQC to publish monthly performance data, improve report quality and timeliness, adopt proportionate expectations for smaller providers, and strengthen equality monitoring and inspector training. We support self‑audit tools and methodology so providers can track and evidence improvement.