How long can a care home run without a registered manager?

Answered by Sheila Scott

Dear L,

For a care home it will always be a condition of registration to have a Registered Manager.

Anyone who doesn’t have a Registered Manager should be aware of the information taken from various pages of the Care Quality Commission website below.

This first one spells out the legal requirement and is clear that a failure to comply is a serious breach of regulation: https://www.cqc.org.uk/content/regulation-7-requirements-relating-registered-managers

Appendix 3, Page 53 of the following document spells out the impact on ratings of not having a Registered Manager without good reason: http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/20150327_asc_community_provider_handbook_appendices_march_15_update_01.pdf

The following 2 pages refer to the action that CQC may take against care homes who have been without a Registered Manager for some time:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/201403_cqc_guidance_-_working_with_providers_who_are_required_to_have_a….pdf

https://www.cqc.org.uk/service-providers/registered-services/how-we-enforce/locations-without-registered-manager-faqs

CQC takes very seriously the failure to recruit a Registered Manager within a reasonable length of time. The actions that they could take if there isn’t a Registered Manager could have a significant impact on both the service and the business.

Best wishes.

Sheila