CQC Registration for Domiciliary Care Agencies

If your agency intends to carry on the regulated activity of personal care in England, it will generally need CQC registration before providing that activity. Some services, such as domestic help or companionship without regulated personal care, may fall outside this activity. The exact position depends on what your business will do.

Personal care can include physical assistance with eating or drinking, toileting, washing, bathing, dressing, oral care, and care of skin, hair or nails for people who cannot manage these activities themselves due to age, illness or disability. The regulatory definition also covers certain prompting and supervision in specified circumstances. Assess the actual activities you plan to deliver rather than relying only on a service label.

CQC requires a Statement of Purpose and other documents applicable to all new providers. Its additional home care requirements include a business plan and financial forecast, evidence of legal occupancy, service user guides and a staff training plan. Home care applicants must also complete the additional form for personal care providers. CQC may request further evidence relevant to your application.

A home address is not automatically excluded, but the proposed location must be suitable for the business and the regulated activities managed from it. You will need to consider confidentiality, record security, accessibility, legal occupancy, and any relevant property or planning restrictions. CQC will assess the proposed location and may ask for evidence of your arrangements. A mailbox address alone should not be assumed sufficient.

CQC assesses whether the proposed Registered Manager is fit, suitably qualified, competent and experienced for the service. A Level 5 leadership qualification can be relevant and may be expected by employers or commissioners, but it is not a universal statutory entry requirement for every applicant. Being a registered nurse does not automatically establish suitability for a management role either.

CQC may interview proposed Registered Managers to explore suitability, experience, understanding of responsibilities and how the service will operate safely. Questions will vary. Topics can include safeguarding, medicines, staffing, the Mental Capacity Act, complaints, risk management and governance. Our dedicated two-hour one-to-one preparation session costs £200 + VAT.

CQC registration can take several months. Timescales vary with application quality, completeness, provider and manager checks, and CQC assessment capacity. Our preparation timescales are separate from CQC decision-making, which we cannot control.

Our £1,500 + VAT service provides practical guidance throughout the agreed registration period. This includes help with provider and manager application information, DBS and reference arrangements, insurance and office considerations, reviewing information you have prepared, general interview guidance, and help responding to CQC requests within the agreed scope. Bespoke documents are priced separately.

The £2,300 + VAT package combines registration support (£1,500) with five document services: core policies and procedures (£200), a business plan and three-year cashflow forecast (£300), a Statement of Purpose (£100), a service user guide (£100), and a staff training plan (£100). Dedicated two-hour Registered Manager interview coaching is a separate £200 + VAT service.

No. Only the Care Quality Commission can decide whether to approve an application. We help you prepare documents and understand requirements, but we cannot guarantee approval or a particular processing timeframe.