The CQC adult social care framework is changing, and for home care providers, the proposed changes are worth understanding now. In March 2026, the CQC confirmed a move away from a single unified framework to four proposed sector-specific assessment frameworks, following its Better Regulation, Better Care consultation.
This is a genuinely collaborative change. The new framework has been shaped by input from providers, the public, the Care Provider Alliance, and people with lived experience of health and social care. The result feels more grounded in the realities of delivering home care than what came before.
For domiciliary care providers, the proposed changes are meaningful and worth acting on well before the summer pilot begins.
What Is Being Proposed in the CQC Adult Social Care Framework?
The five key questions, Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-Led, remain in place. But two structural changes are proposed that would affect how assessments work in practice.
First, the draft framework replaces quality statements with key lines of enquiry. These are structured questions that describe exactly what CQC inspectors would look for during an assessment. Rather than broad statements, they give providers a clearer picture of the evidence they need to have in place.
Second, the proposal removes numerical scoring. Under the draft framework, ratings would be made directly at key question level, supported by rating characteristics that describe what Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate care looks like within adult social care specifically.
A Note on ‘I Statements’ in the Proposed CQC Adult Social Care Framework
One notable addition proposed in the draft framework is the inclusion of ‘I statements’, drawn from the Making It Real framework, which was co-produced with people who have lived experience of health and social care. These statements keep the focus firmly on what matters most to the person receiving care, and they would directly influence how inspectors gather and use feedback from people using services.
For home care providers, this reinforces something many already know: consistently capturing genuine service user voice, not just at inspection time, is fundamental to evidencing quality. Providers who embed this into everyday practice will be well placed.
Why the CQC Adult Social Care Changes Matter for Homecare Providers
Home care is unlike any other part of the sector. Providers deliver highly personalised support in people’s own homes, often with lone workers, varied schedules and a strong emphasis on dignity, independence and continuity. A one-size-fits-all framework was never quite the right tool for this kind of service.
The proposed adult social care framework is designed to reflect those realities. Rating characteristics were developed using input from providers and the public, grounding them in real experience of what quality care looks like in practice. For domiciliary care providers, this is largely a positive development. Clearer expectations would mean fewer surprises at inspection. The proposed key lines of enquiry give providers a structured framework to audit their own practices against, rather than interpreting broadly worded quality statements.
The challenge, as ever, is evidence. Knowing what ‘Good’ looks like and being able to demonstrate it consistently are two different things.
How Technology Supports Compliance Evidencing
As the proposed framework takes shape, the role of care management software in supporting compliance becomes more important. Visit notes, care plans, audit trails, and communication records are all sources of evidence that inspectors will draw on. The question is whether that evidence is structured, consistent, and accessible when it’s needed.
IQ:careaudit automatically reviews visit notes as they are submitted, flagging risks and issues before they escalate. IQ:careassist supports carers in writing structured, person-centred care plans that meet compliance requirements from the outset.
Together, they help providers build a continuous, evidence-based picture of care quality rather than scrambling to compile evidence at inspection time. Once the final framework is confirmed following the summer pilot, we’ll publish a practical guide to how Unique IQ maps to the new adult social care key lines of enquiry.
To help home care providers benchmark where they currently stand, we’ve built a free CQC inspection checklist for home care. It maps 50 evidence requirements to the proposed key lines of enquiry across all five domains and gives you a live readiness score as you work through it with your team.
A Quick Note on Environmental Sustainability
One area not included in the draft framework is environmental sustainability.
The CQC has acknowledged it needs more time to understand how to approach this fairly in a sector where providers often have limited control over travel routes, visit patterns, and commissioning decisions. This will be revisited in due course.
What Happens Next?
The CQC is currently seeking feedback on the draft adult social care framework. The consultation closes on 12 June 2026. Following a review of responses, the framework will be refined ahead of piloting and testing in practice during summer 2026.
Your views can shape the final framework. This is a genuine opportunity to influence how adult social care is assessed. If you haven’t already, read the draft framework on the CQC website and submit your feedback before 12 June. Providers are strongly encouraged to have their say.
What Care Providers Should Do Now
- Read the draft adult social care framework on the CQC website and consider submitting feedback before 12 June
- Benchmark your service against the proposed framework using our free CQC inspection checklist for home care, which maps 50 evidence requirements to the proposed key lines of enquiry
- Assess how consistently you capture service user voice in day-to-day practice, not just at inspection
- Talk to your software provider about how your technology supports compliance evidencing
Final Thoughts
The move to sector-specific frameworks is a step forward for adult social care regulation. Clearer expectations, transparent rating characteristics, and a stronger focus on the experiences of people receiving care all point in the right direction.
The providers who will be best placed when the new framework takes effect are those already building consistent, evidenced practices into their daily operations, capturing service user voice, keeping records current, and auditing in real time rather than treating compliance as a point-in-time exercise.
Want to see how IQ:careaudit supports compliance evidencing? Book a demo with our team.