The 5 CQC key questions — what they really ask
Every CQC judgement rolls up to the same five questions. Under the single assessment framework each is broken into quality statements — the “we” commitments — and scored from the evidence. Here is what each question means in practice, and the evidence that actually moves the score.
Safe
Are people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?
Evidence that counts:
- Safeguarding training records and a log showing concerns were raised and acted on
- Incident and accident records with documented learning, not just documentation
- Medicines management audits, up-to-date risk assessments, safe staffing evidence
Effective
Does care achieve good outcomes and reflect current best practice?
Evidence that counts:
- Care plans that reference current guidance and show measurable outcomes
- Staff competency assessments and supervision records
- Nutrition, hydration and pain monitoring that visibly informs care decisions
Caring
Do staff treat people with kindness, dignity and respect?
Evidence that counts:
- Resident and family feedback that is collected, logged and responded to
- Person-centred care plans that capture preferences, history and identity
- Observed interactions — inspectors watch mealtimes and corridors, not just files
Responsive
Is care organised around individual needs — and does it adapt?
Evidence that counts:
- Complaints handled within policy timescales with outcomes fed back
- Activity provision matched to individual interests, including for people in bed
- End-of-life wishes documented and honoured; care plans updated as needs change
Well-led
Do leadership, governance and culture drive high-quality care?
Evidence that counts:
- A living quality-assurance cycle: audits → actions → owners → dates → review
- Duty of candour compliance and honest notifications to CQC
- Staff who can describe the vision, and a manager who knows the service's weaknesses
The pattern behind all five
Inspectors are not looking for perfect services — they are looking for services that know themselves. A home that can show “we found this problem, here's what we did, here's how we know it worked” scores better than a home with a spotless file and no evidence of learning. Build that loop once — audit, action, owner, review — and it feeds all five questions.