Care Quality Commission registration and inspections

Our experienced health and social care solicitors advise providers on all aspects of Care Quality Commission inspections, registrations, tribunal matters and proceedings.

We work in partnership with health and social care providers including residential and nursing homes, and home care providers, advising them on their registrations with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and any conditions on registration, notices, tribunal issues or outcomes of inspections such as ratings.

We recognise that obtaining and maintaining registration with CQC, and the application of their inspection regime, is a key regulatory issue for care providers. Our in-depth knowledge of how CQC operates, and expects providers to respond to its policies and procedures, enables us to give our clients a crucial insight into how best to engage with the regulator.

Guiding clients through the process of registering their care service, we ensure that care providers comply with the relevant regulations, as well as providing support when they have not been met or compliance is being challenged. When faced with unsatisfactory inspection outcomes providers need immediate support to determine how best to use the opportunities available to get the right outcome—whether through formal or informal approaches.

We regularly work with providers to assist them with challenging factually inaccurate CQC reports or challenging ratings. We also advise clients when CQC is taking action against them for not meeting care standards or regulations, and whether by way of service a Warning Notice, a Notice of Proposal or by way of Tribunal Proceedings in the Care Standards Tribunal.

Our inspections and registration service

Our specialist health and social care regulatory solicitors advise health and social care providers on all aspects of CQC inspections and registration, including:

• CQC registration, including failure to register and conditions on registration.
• CQC inspections.
• Ensuring policies and procedures are current, robust and workable.
• Supporting development of a practical understanding of health and social care regulations to ensure compliance.
• Addressing specific regulatory issues as they arise.
• Challenging inaccurate inspection reports and CQC decisions to refuse registration or impose conditions on registration, or as part of the enforcement process.
• Challenging and responding to warning notices.
• Preparing action plans to achieve compliance.
• Representing health and social care providers in enforcement proceedings, including interviews under caution.
• Providing training including the development of training programmes, for use in-house.