CQC Registration Support for Domiciliary Care & Supported Living

If your business intends to carry on the regulated activity of personal care in England, you generally need CQC registration before you begin providing it. Personal care can include help with washing, dressing and using the toilet for someone who cannot do these things without assistance because of age, illness or disability. The precise regulated activities depend on your service.

Not every supported living service needs CQC registration. The deciding factor is what activities you actually provide. A supported living provider carrying on regulated personal care will generally need to register for that activity, whereas accommodation or social support alone may not require CQC registration. There must be a genuine separation between housing arrangements and the provision of personal care.

CQC expects your service to be ready, or very nearly ready, to deliver the activities you are applying to provide. Your proposed management arrangements, premises or office base, staffing plans, policies and systems should be sufficiently developed for CQC to assess them. You should not begin providing a regulated activity until CQC has confirmed your registration.

The precise list depends on your provider type, regulated activities and service model. CQC requires core documents such as a Statement of Purpose and relevant safeguarding, recruitment, medicines, complaints and governance policies. Domiciliary care and supported living services applying to provide personal care also have service-specific requirements, including a business plan and financial forecast, evidence of legal occupancy, service user guides and a staff training plan. Always check the current CQC checklist before submission.

For new domiciliary care and supported living provider applications covered by CQC’s service-specific guidance, a business plan and financial forecast are required supporting documents. They should be based on realistic assumptions about staffing, operating costs, funding and expected income. We can help prepare these documents using information you provide about your proposed business.

CQC’s current list of documents for new provider applications exempts home care agencies and supported living services from the separate financial viability statement requirement. This is different from the business plan and financial forecast, which are still required for those service types. Requirements may differ where you apply for additional services or regulated activities.

A Statement of Purpose explains who the registered provider is, the aims and objectives of the service, the regulated activities to be provided, the people the service intends to support, and the locations from which it operates. It must accurately reflect your planned service and be kept up to date. We can help draft a Statement of Purpose tailored to your organisation and proposed registration.

CQC says its assessment process can take a few months and sometimes longer. The overall timescale also depends on how quickly you obtain DBS checks, prepare accurate supporting documents and respond to requests for further information. Our document preparation work is separate from CQC’s assessment, and we cannot guarantee a registration date or influence CQC’s decision.

Organisations and partnerships will generally need to apply to register one or more managers, alongside the provider application. There are different rules for individual providers, depending on who is responsible for managing the regulated activity. CQC considers the applicant manager’s experience, skills, knowledge and suitability, and may arrange an interview.

Yes. We offer practical interview preparation covering your proposed service, safeguarding, medicines, staffing, governance, complaints, mental capacity and the responsibilities of a Registered Manager. The sessions help you explain your own experience and approach clearly; they do not replace the knowledge and competence CQC expects you to demonstrate.

CQC needs to know the location from which you will manage your service and keep records, even if care is delivered in people’s homes. A home office may be suitable in some cases, but CQC will consider whether the premises and arrangements are appropriate, including privacy and secure record-keeping. You must also check any relevant tenancy, planning, mortgage or insurance restrictions.

CQC expects applicants proposing these services to consider its Right support, right care, right culture guidance. Additional registration documents can include positive behaviour support and restraint policies, together with service-specific forms. The service model should demonstrate how people will be supported to exercise choice, independence and control.

It may. CQC checks whether applications are complete and relevant, and it may request clarifications, further documents, an interview or an assessment of the proposed premises. As part of an agreed registration support package, we can help you understand requests and prepare responses or revisions using accurate information you provide.

We can guide you through the forms, review your supporting documents and help organise the submission. CQC requires the applicant to complete their own application and declarations, so you remain responsible for checking and authorising the information submitted. The exact practical support included depends on your agreed service package.

The cost depends on your service type and what you need help with. You may need a complete registration support package or individual services such as a Statement of Purpose, policies, business plan, financial forecast or interview preparation. View our packages and pricing page for the current scope and fees, or contact us to discuss your requirements.

No. Only the Care Quality Commission decides whether to grant registration. We help you understand the requirements, prepare supporting documents and identify areas that may need attention, but the outcome depends on CQC’s assessment of the applicant, proposed manager and service.