The CQC’s recent announcement that it has surpassed its target of 9,000 inspections demonstrates a clear determination to increase regulatory activity, tackle aged ratings and strengthen oversight across health and social care. Through the recent introduction of shorter, more focused Return to Good assessments, this ambition will be brought to life by enabling the regulator to carry out more inspections, maintain greater visibility of services and provide ongoing assurance that standards of care continue to be met.
It is also of interest that, when directly compared side by side, what is looked at under Return to Good methodology is very similar to that under the proposed future CQC framework. So whilst this may be an interim approach for Good providers, this way of working may become routine for a wider group of providers in the future, so all social care providers should take note.
For the time being, however, the introduction of Return to Good assessments marks a significant change for the vast majority of adult social care providers rated as Good. Whereas under previous methodologies, CQC would have undertaken a full, comprehensive inspection, these have been designed to revisit services with older Good ratings more efficiently. The new approach focuses on confirming whether standards of care have been maintained while increasing regulatory contact across the sector. Providers that meet the criteria will be assessed against 18 quality statements rather than the full set within the Single Assessment Framework, with a strong emphasis on people’s experiences, outcomes, observations and targeted evidence reviews.
Social care providers should proceed with caution, however, as being rated Good previously is no guarantee of future success. Since the previous inspection, providers may have seen changes in staff, managers, equipment or processes, for example. The regular visiting GP may have changed, or a less experienced safeguarding lead may have been appointed. Irrespective of this, services must demonstrate that effective leadership, robust governance, safe care and positive outcomes have continued or even improved since the previous inspection. Conversely, if concerns are identified during the planning stage or during the inspection, what began as a focused visit could become a full, comprehensive inspection. The potential for increased scrutiny not only affects staff wellbeing, workloads and care delivery, but if poor care is identified in inspection reports, this affects reputations. It is imperative to ensure that systems remain effective, evidence is clear and any changes since the last inspection have been embedded or are in the process of being embedded.
The regulator is also reintroducing portfolio holders, creating greater continuity through inspectors who have dedicated oversight of individual services and a deeper understanding of their history, risks and performance. For providers, this signals a return to more visible and sustained regulatory relationships, rather than isolated inspection events. The move away from these relationship holders during the CQC’s transformation programme often led to uncertainty and inconsistent communication, adding further pressure to what can already be a stressful experience. Many providers will therefore welcome the return of a more relationship-based approach, bringing greater consistency, improved dialogue and clearer lines of communication.
Inspection Readiness is Key
As a vast majority of inspections are unannounced, this means that all too often, services are under extreme pressure and scrutiny as they pull together policies, audits, feedback surveys, risk assessments and governance records. However, the strongest providers take a different approach. They lead the inspection with certainty, showing the inspector their personalised policies, assurance dashboards, surveys, risk assessments and audits. They can tell the inspector all about how their systems ensure that staff are confident, trained and trusted to care with confidence.
And this is exactly where QCS can help.
Supporting Return to Good Readiness
The Return to Good framework places significant emphasis on leadership, governance, risk management and continuous improvement. Providers must be able to demonstrate not only that they identify issues, but that they take action, learn from incidents and maintain oversight of service quality.
QCS supports providers by bringing together policies, procedures, guidance, audit tools and feedback mechanisms within one connected ecosystem. Rather than managing compliance activities across multiple systems, organisations can maintain a clear and consistent approach to governance that reflects the realities of modern adult social care.
Comprehensive policies and procedures aligned to the Single Assessment Framework provide a strong governance foundation, while audit tools help services identify themes, monitor performance and demonstrate continuous improvement. Feedback surveys allow providers to capture the views of people who use services, family members, staff and professional stakeholders, helping evidence one of the key areas inspectors will focus on during Return to Good assessments: people’s experiences.
Expertise Providers Can Trust
The regulatory landscape continues to evolve, and keeping pace with changing expectations can be challenging.
That’s why every answer and resource within QCS is powered by the voice of 100 experts. Developed specifically for adult social care, QCS content is maintained by sector specialists, giving providers confidence that staff have access to current guidance and recognised best practice whenever they need it.
Policies only deliver value when staff can access and apply them effectively. Lyra, QCS’s AI technology helps make this possible by providing instant answers based on an organisation’s own policies and procedures. Whether staff need support with safeguarding, medicines management, documentation or risk assessments, they can quickly access guidance that aligns with their governance framework.
For additional assurance, QCS Mock Inspections can help organisations assess their readiness before the regulator arrives. Aligned to current CQC expectations, they provide valuable insight into governance effectiveness, documentation quality, staff understanding and areas that may require improvement.
By identifying potential gaps early, providers can take proactive action and approach inspections with greater confidence.
Confidence, Consistency and Evidence
Ultimately, inspection readiness is not an event. It is a culture.
The providers most likely to succeed under the Return to Good model are those that embed governance, learning and quality improvement into everyday practice. They do not wait until an inspection is announced to gather evidence. Instead, they create it continuously through strong leadership, confident teams and effective systems.
QCS gives everyone working in adult social care the confidence to do things right, the consistency to apply the right approach every time, and the evidence to show it when anyone asks.