CQC has released its draft Adult Social Care Assessment Framework for sector feedback, with comments invited until 12 June
So what’s changing — and what does it mean for providers?
- The Five Key Questions remain but NO Single Assessment Framework
This framework continues to sit beneath the core questions providers know well, but social care reverts to its own distinct framework. The draft includes 24 Key Lines of Enquiry (formerly Quality Statements), with CQC indicating further refinement is planned to reduce duplication. A more streamlined structure should make it easier for providers to understand expectations and prepare for inspection.
- A return to Ratings Characteristics
This is a positive step. Clear, operational descriptors of what “Good” and “Outstanding” look like give providers practical insight into what inspectors are assessing. This added specificity supports consistency, transparency, and continuous improvement across services.
- Fewer Key Lines of Enquiry — but core themes remain
Although the number has reduced, the essence of nearly all previous Quality Statements is still embedded. CQC is also exploring what environmental sustainability should look like in adult social care settings. Some areas have been combined compared to the Single Assessment Framework, but very little appears to have been removed entirely.
Overall, the direction of travel is clear:
A more transparent, evidence‑driven, equitable, and person‑focused regulatory approach, with sharper indicators for poor practice. Chris Badger, the Chief Inspector for Adult Social Care is also clear he wants to see far shorter reports – 12-14 pages is the norm in Wales and Scotland, but this rises to an average of 20 pages for CQC reports. A combination of a shorter report, but additional feedback and pointers for providers (who want their hard work recognised) might strike the right balance.
The change of approach doesn’t mean a change in what providers need to demonstrate — person‑centred care supported by accurate, up‑to‑date care plans, competent teams, meaningful oversight, and active learning will remain the foundations of achieving good and outstanding outcomes.
