Free tool
CQC inspection readiness self-assessment
How ready are you for your next CQC inspection? Rate your home across the five CQC key questions and get an honest readiness score, plus the areas to focus on first.
- Rate all five CQC key questions in minutes
- Get an instant readiness band and score
- See exactly which areas to address first
- Turn the result into a clear action plan
Rate the five CQC key questions
Be honest about how ready each area is for your next inspection.
Safeguarding, staffing, medicines and risk are well managed.
Care follows best practice and staff have the right training and support.
People are treated with dignity, kindness and respect.
Care is person-centred and responds to changing needs and complaints.
Leadership, culture, governance and continuous improvement are strong.
Your inspection readiness
Well-prepared
10/10
See your full report
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Readiness: Well-prepared (10/10).
About the CQC inspection readiness self-assessment
A CQC inspection can come at short notice, so the best-prepared homes treat readiness as an everyday habit, not a last-minute scramble. This free self-assessment gives you a quick, honest read on where you stand. Rate your home across the five CQC key questions, Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led, and see your readiness band and score build up instantly, along with the specific areas that need attention before an inspector walks through the door.
It is deliberately simple and transparent, and it is an indicative self-check, not an official CQC assessment. Use it to focus your preparation, prompt a management conversation and shape a dated action plan, alongside your own evidence, audits and professional judgement. Care home, nursing home and specialist providers use it as a regular pulse-check between inspections to keep quality and governance on track.
CQC readiness, explained
What does CQC look at in an inspection?+
The Care Quality Commission assesses services against five key questions, whether they are Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Each is now underpinned by a set of quality statements that describe what good looks like, and inspectors gather evidence against them to reach a rating.
How do I prepare for a CQC inspection?+
Know your service against the five key questions, keep your evidence, audits and care records current, and be able to tell a clear story about how you keep people safe and improve. Rehearse how staff, residents and families would answer, close any gaps you find early, and make sure your governance and action plans are visible and dated.
Is this an official CQC assessment?+
No. This is an indicative self-check, not an official CQC assessment. It helps you focus your own preparation across the five key questions, but only the Care Quality Commission can inspect and rate your service.
Stay inspection-ready all year round
See how CareStream keeps your evidence, training and governance in one place, so you are ready whenever CQC arrives.