CQC Blogs

CQC updates: What the latest assessment priorities mean for adult social care Blog

July 14, 2026

Fabio Cecchi, Commercial Director at Fulcrum Care, analyses the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) recent update on assessments, aged ratings and unassessed services.


Inside CQC - Assessing local authorities Feature

Jun 19, 2026 

Chris Badger, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), updates on the regulator’s assessment of local authorities.


Not just a return to KLOEs: The implications of CQC’s draft framework Blog

Jun 05, 2026

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) draft sector-specific assessment framework for adult social care marks an important moment for providers, writes Fabio Cecchi, Commercial Director at Fulcrum Care..


What CQC's sector specific inspection frameworks could mean for providers Blog

May 07, 2026

Fabio Cecchi, Commercial Director at Fulcrum Care, shares the organisation’s response to the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) March update and explains what the proposed move towards sector-specific inspection frameworks could mean for providers.


In conversation with Chris Badger Feature

Apr 23 2026 

CMM’s Lead Editor, Henry Thornton, speaks to Chris Badger, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), about the implementation of the regulator’s new assessment framework.


Inside CQC - Good practice in dementia care Feature

Apr 23 2026 

Chris Badger, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), champions the importance of following good practice in dementia care.


Set the record straight: How to challenge a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report  Blog

Feb 03, 2026

Fulcrum Care's Commercial Director Fabio Cecchi, outlines how providers can give themselves the best possible chance of successfully challenging a CQC report.


Rebuilding CQC: Why stronger regulation still depends on strong governance Blog

Jan 20, 2026

Fabio Cecchi, Commercial Director at Fulcrum Care, considers CQC’s recent update on its progress during 2025 and explains why improvements in regulation do not reduce the need for strong governance within services.


CQC’s 2026 improvement plans: What providers should do now Blog

Dec 04, 2025

Fabio Cecchi, Commercial Director at Fulcrum Care, shares Fulcrum Care’s response to CQC’s recent update on its improvement plans and explains what providers should do now.


Inside CQC - Local Authorities care act duties Feature

Nov 25, 2025 

Mary Cridge, Director of Adult Social Care at CQC, shares key findings from CQC’s State of Care 2024/25 report.


Hempsons CQC Q&A series: Prosecutions of health and social care providers in England Blog

Nov 25, 2025

Philippa answers your questions around the prosecution of health and social care providers, including whether there are material changes providers should be aware of.


Hempsons CQC Q&A series: How to support services that have had regulatory breaches during a CQC inspection Blog

Oct 24, 2025

Philippa answers: How can services that have previously had regulatory breaches during an inspection, evidence that strategies have been implemented to address them upon reinspection?


Hempsons CQC Q&A series: What are the key legal risks for complex care providers under CQC regulation? Blog

Sep 24, 2025

Philippa answers: What are the key legal risks for complex care providers under CQC regulation, especially when delivering care involving restrictive practices or managing people with high clinical needs?


Inside CQC: James Bullion - reflections and hopes Feature

Aug 21, 2025
James Bullion joined CQC in 2023 as the interim Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care and will hand over the role to Chris Badger, who starts in September. Here, James speaks about his time at the Commission and his hopes for the future.


Hempsons CQC Q&A series: What are some of the basic things care providers miss?Blog

Aug 21, 2025

When it comes to CQC inspections, certain areas are repeatedly flagged as falling short, often because they seem deceptively simple or become lost amidst more complex priorities. Here, Philippa Doyle, Head of Social Care at Hempsons, goes over the most common pitfalls.


Inside CQC: Good practice in dementia care Feature

Jun 25, 2025
Mary Cridge, Director of Adult Social Care at the CQC, describes good practice in dementia care following the publication of a new report from the regulator.


New CQC Chief Inspector appointed News

Jun 19, 2025
Chris Badger has been appointed as the Care Quality Commission's (CQC's) new Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care. Chris will be joining CQC from Hertfordshire County Council in September, where he is currently Director of Adult Care Services.


Inside CQC: The impact of poor technology Feature

May 22, 2025
Mary Cridge, Director of Adult Social Care at the CQC, looks at the impact of poor technology in the sector, as well as its potential to enable excellent care.


The rise or fall of Care Quality Commission prosecutions? Enforcement trends and future risks Blog

May 21, 2025
Gemma Nicholas, Senior Associate in the Health and Social Care team at RWK Goodman, explores the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) historical and recent approach to prosecutions, emerging themes in enforcement and what providers can do to protect themselves as enforcement activity evolves.


Care Quality Commission Factual Accuracy Challenges: Why providers big and small should use them Blog

May 20, 2025
Factual Accuracy Challenges (FACs) are crucial for ensuring that Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports accurately reflect the quality of services provided, says Philippa Doyle, Head of Social Care at Hempsons.


Straight Talk: How the CQC can move forward Feature

May, 2025
Sam Hussain, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Log my Care, responds to the CQC’s independent review of its provider portal and regulatory platform.


CMM Insight Webinar - The Single Assessment Framework: CPA’s Findings & CQC’s Next Steps Webinar

March 18, 2025

Find out more about the work that the CPA have being carrying out to support on the new Single Assessment Framework and hear from members of the working group that took part in the project. The webinar will focus on the recommendations from the CPA’s report and how the CQC plan to implement them in the coming months.


Preferred candidate for CQC Chair named News

February 28, 2025

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has named his preferred candidate for the next Care Quality Commission (CQC) Chair. Subject to approval by the Health and Social Care Select Committee, Professor Sir Mike Richards CBE will take over from the current Chair, Ian Dilks, once his appointment ends. The CQC has welcomed this announcement and will issue a full statement following the Committee's pre-appointment hearing.


Inside CQC - Local Authorities care act duties Feature

February 20, 2025 | Mary Cridge

Mary Cridge, Director of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), updates on the regulator’s assessment of how local authorities are meeting their Care Act duties.


Inside CQC - Partnerships and Collaboration Feature

January 22, 2025 | Mary Cridge

Working with healthcare partners and the wider community is vital to delivering strong adult social care services. But there are often challenges in getting the support needed to do this, explains Mary Cridge, Director of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC).


CMM Insight Webinar - Spotlight on the Single Assessment Framework Webinar

August 20, 2024

Following a period of significant change and challenge for CQC, and recent acknowledgement of the very real problems this has caused and a firm commitment ‘to urgently and rapidly improve how we’re using our regulatory approach and to making the changes we need to steer us in the right direction’, we are delighted to be hosting this webinar with our CQC colleagues, Mary Cridge , Director of Adult Social Care and Dave James, Deputy Director of Policy and Strategy.


The CQC’s new assessment framework: Care providers should hope for the best but prepare for the worst Blog

March 28, 2024 | Tim Coolican, Freya Cassia

With the rollout of the new CQC single assessment framework underway, social care providers are concerned that too much reliance on past performance could be distorting their new assessment ratings. Tim Coolican and Freya Cassia at Anthony Collins discuss how care providers should hope for the best but prepare for the worst.


Managers and leaders – a key component of delivering the quality our sector needs Blog

February 28, 2024 | Rob Hargreaves

Rob Hargreaves, Information Services Manager at Skills for Care, discusses tangible ways to be Care Quality Commission (CQC)-compliant as the Single Assessment Framework comes into use.