Homecare Association submission to the CQC consultation on the draft sector-specific assessment framework for Adult social care.

The Homecare Association has responded to the Care Quality Commission consultation on the draft adult social care assessment framework. We support the move back towards sector-specific frameworks and welcome the stronger emphasis on outcomes, equity, human rights and lived experience. However, we argue that the framework still does not reflect homecare clearly enough and needs stronger homecare-specific guidance, clearer evidence expectations and practical examples to show how inspectors should assess care delivered in people’s own homes. 

We also call on the CQC to simplify overlapping key lines of enquiry, define rating thresholds more clearly and distinguish between what providers control directly, what they can influence and what depends on wider system constraints. At a time when too many community care services remain unrated or have out-of-date ratings, the final framework must be practical, proportionate and quick to apply. We want the CQC to strengthen service-type tailoring, improve inspector understanding of homecare and make continuity, reliability and safe day-to-day delivery central markers of quality.

CQC ASC framework response 11th June 2026.pdf