By QCS (Quality Compliance Systems) | September 15, 2026
Last Updated on September 16, 2026
The Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) team explains what the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) return to good approach means for adult social care providers and how they can keep evidence, governance and everyday practice inspection ready.
On 30 July 2026, CQC set out plans to introduce a new inspection approach for adult social care services rated ‘good’, as part of its target to publish reports for at least 9,000 assessments across the sectors it regulates by September 2026. Eligible services include all care homes including residential, nursing, learning disability and autism services, as well as supported living and homecare services that support people in their own homes.
Through the return to good programme, CQC will look for evidence that good quality care has been maintained, whilst responding more robustly where it sees or hears about poor care. The approach focuses on the importance of people’s experiences and outcomes from care and will involve observations of care as well as targeted reviews of records and other relevant documentation.
Rather than carrying out a full routine assessment for every lower-risk service, CQC has introduced a more proportionate approach for providers where there is strong evidence that a previous good rating is likely to have been maintained. However, if inspectors identify concerns during planning or during the visit, they can stop the return to good process and instead carry out a full, comprehensive assessment.
Why has the CQC introduced this approach?
CQC has thousands of registered services with ratings that are now several years old, and the organisation has been transparent about its intention to tackle aged ratings and increase regulatory contact across the sector.
After several months within the GP inspection regime, return to good assessments have now been extended to social care providers. The assessments enable inspectors to revisit lower-risk services more quickly, without placing an unnecessary burden on providers that continue to deliver good-quality care.
Which care homes are eligible?
Not every service rated good will receive this type of assessment – to be eligible, adult social care services must:
- Be rated as good overall and good in all five key questions.
- Have a rating that is at least six or seven years old.
- Have a registered manager.
- Provide no indication of a change in rating.
They must not:
- Provide care or treatment to children.
- Have added the service user band of ‘people with a learning disability and autism’ since they were last rated as good.
- Have ongoing enforcement activity.
If a service does not meet all these criteria, CQC is likely to continue using its usual assessment approach, which means a full, comprehensive inspection.
What do return to good inspections look like?
The return to good assessment approach is more streamlined and focuses on 18 quality statements across the five CQC key questions – safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. CQC may expand the assessment to include additional quality statements if it identifies concerns or ‘outstanding’ practice during the planning stage. In those circumstances, it says it will revert to its usual assessment approach, so providers need to stay up to date with any new developments.
Inspectors will use their professional judgement, seek corroborating evidence and weigh positive practice alongside identified risks. This ensures judgements about quality and safety continue to be fair, balanced and evidence led. Care providers can expect the final assessment report to be more concise, with findings focused on any areas where the service needs to improve or where outstanding practice has been identified.
What steps should providers take?
Care providers should treat inspection readiness as an ongoing governance discipline rather than a one-off exercise. In practice, this means proactively reviewing evidence against the five key questions and the relevant quality statements, checking that policies, care plans, audits, risk assessments, training records and feedback are up to date, and making sure leaders can clearly demonstrate how they listen to people, act on learning and drive continuous improvement.
Teams should also test how easily evidence can be accessed during an assessment, speak regularly with staff and people who use services about their experiences, and address any known gaps before CQC visits. Good practice needs to visible, consistent and supported by clear records, including evidence that providers value the views of residents, relatives and staff and use feedback to make meaningful improvements.
Driving regulatory compliance
CQC’s inspection methodology continues to evolve, but the foundations of good care remain the same. The return to good programme prioritises safety, leadership, governance, staffing, person-centred care, consent and continuous improvement. For care providers, this offers reassurance that continued investment and attention in these core areas will continue to support regulatory compliance, regardless of how the framework develops. It also gives providers and CQC a practical opportunity to test how future assessment expectations may work in practice.
How QCS helps care homes stay confident in change
Recent updates from CQC, Government and sector leaders highlight a clear shift towards more person-centred, outcomes-focused and evidence-led care. Whether CQC assesses all 34 quality statements under a full inspection or 18 through the return to good approach, QCS acts as a bridge between reform and compliance, giving care teams the clarity, structure and confidence they need to stay inspection ready.
QCS provides mock inspections aligned to the return to good framework, helping providers test readiness, evidence effective governance and identify gaps before an assessment. We also offer a complete suite of policies and procedures and feedback surveys for staff, people who use services, and partners, all aligned with the current single assessment framework.
The QCS Audit Centre improves quality assurance by helping providers plan, complete, and evidence audits across their care service, so they can respond to CQC scrutiny with clearer records and greater confidence. In addition, Lyra, our AI technology, gives staff instant, practical guidance based on the care home’s own policies, helping the team get the answers they need in seconds. To find out how we can help your care service stay confident and inspection ready, contact QCS today.
CMM’s CQC resource page
Sponsored by QCS, this resource page is a one-stop-shop for care providers’ regulatory needs. For breaking news, newly published guidance, informative blog posts, a monthly column from the regulator, advice on preparing for an inspection and more, click here.