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The independent regulator of health
and social care in England |
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A regular update for providers and professionals working in adult social care.
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As the year draws to a close, we want to offer our heartfelt thanks for all the work you continue to do to deliver care that meets the needs of the people you support. This has been a challenging year, and we are acutely aware you continue to work under considerable pressures. Thank you.
We also want to highlight our huge appreciation for your ongoing support for the work we are doing to rebuild CQC and most recently your engagement with our assessment framework consultation. This work is critical to ensuring we can offer you the support you need and deliver meaningful impact for the public.
2026 will be a significant year for us as we drive forward changes to our regulatory frameworks and we look forward to working closely with all of you to deliver these changes in the right way for all of us.
Our four Chief Inspectors will be front and centre of this work and they share their reflections on the last year and their ambitions going into 2026.
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When I joined CQC in September my goal was to help make a genuine change for the better. Not just for the organisation, but for health and social care across England.
My immediate task in working towards that goal was very clear – to increase the number of inspections that we carry out in adult social care. So far in 2025/26 we have completed more inspections than in the whole of the previous year. We have also nearly completed all initial assessments of how the 153 local authorities with social care responsibilities in England are meeting their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act (2014).
Throughout all this work, collaboration with providers, stakeholders, CQC colleagues and with people who use services has been, and will continue to be, so important. I will continue to work closely with my fellow chief inspectors to deliver impact across all sectors, including continuing the work with Chris Dzikiti, Chief Inspector of Mental Health, and his team on our Independent Care (Education) Treatment (IC(E)TR) review programme.
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Our Interim Chief Executive, Dr Arun Chopra, has published a new blog post reflecting on the findings in our State of Care report for 2024/25, and on how the proposed updates to our assessment framework aim to address the pressures facing health and care services.
The post highlights the ongoing challenges across the system – from workforce shortages to the growing demand for community-based care – and sets out how more consistent regulation can help support improvement.
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 We are working with IFF Research (Independent Fieldwork and Feedback Research) to better understand how adult social care providers approach risk and safety across the sector.
In January, we will invite providers from across England, of all sizes and service types, to complete a 10-minute survey about your organisation’s approach to risk and safety. We’re looking for people who can speak about this in detail, such as registered managers, operations managers, compliance or health and safety officers, or anyone with general safety responsibilities.
Your input will help us to understand how we can support improvements in safety across adult social care, ensuring people who use services receive safe care that meets their needs. Responses will remain anonymous and reported in aggregate, not at organisation or individual level.
If you’d like your organisation’s voice heard, please email safetyinascresearch@iffresearch.com by 9 January 2026 to opt in. IFF Research will then send you the survey link.
You can request a copy of your data, make changes, withdraw from the research, or stop the survey at any time. For more details, including privacy and GDPR, see IFF Research’s Privacy Policy.
 CQC is piloting new technology to make inspections more efficient and consistent. We’ve secured over £480,000 from the Government’s Regulators’ Pioneer Fund to explore ambient voice technology (AVT) – artificial intelligence software that captures and transcribes conversations during inspections.
This eight-month project (October 2025 – May 2026) will test whether AVT can reduce administrative tasks, improve evidence gathering, and support our goal of completing 9,000 inspections by September 2026.
The pilot will begin in January 2026, when we’ll work with a select group of providers and inspectors to trial AVT in real inspection settings. This is an important step in rebuilding CQC and reflects our commitment to smarter, more effective regulation.
We will engage with selected providers in the new year.
The Department of Health and Social Care has shared letters on infection prevention and control and flu vaccinations. These letters provide essential winter guidance for the adult social care sector, focusing on infection prevention, vaccination, and winter preparedness.
They highlight the importance of maintaining high standards of hygiene, encouraging vaccinations, supporting safe visiting, and being ready for seasonal challenges. Providers are urged to review the latest guidance, use available resources, and take proactive steps to protect both staff and those receiving care this winter.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has developed a simple fire risk checklist to help domiciliary care providers assess and review the needs of people they support. The checklist includes practical advice, guidance, and links to further resources.
Although accidental fires in UK homes have reduced significantly over recent decades, fire and rescue service statistics show around 29,000 still occur each year, causing approximately 230 fatalities and 5,300 injuries. Many of these fires share common causes and are often linked to long-term health conditions, reduced mobility, or vulnerabilities related to age and physical or mental health. A notable proportion happen in the homes of people receiving care visits.
The growth of care at home and commitments made in the 10 Year Health Plan for England will see more healthcare delivered in people’s homes or community settings. Multidisciplinary teams will provide in-person and technology-enabled care for people living with frailty, as well as cardiac, respiratory and other conditions. NFCC supports this development but highlights the need to promote fire safety in home settings and recognises the benefits of fire and rescue service support to health and social care. Providers can access the checklist and guidance here.
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Other news
- Subscribe to our WhatsApp channel, where we share the latest news and updates on improving how we work.
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We will continue leading the Independent Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews (ICETRs) programme until March 2028, following two years of collaboration with NHS England. Commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), ICETRs provide independent assessments for autistic people and those with learning disabilities in long-term segregation, helping improve oversight and support. The initiative, led by Rebecca Bauers, has already enabled more individuals to move out of segregation and will keep shaping person-centred, high-quality community care through ongoing thematic insights and feedback. Read the full update on our website for more details.
- Digital Care Hub welcomes the Government’s renewed focus on making health and care data accessible to authorised roles. To be considered fully digitised, providers must now achieve ‘Standards Met’ on the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT). DSPT adoption has risen sharply—from 15% in 2021 to 76% in 2025—reflecting the sector’s commitment to secure digital record-keeping. Find out more.
- Digital Care Hub, alongside the Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCOE) and Care England, warns that weak passwords and public Wi-Fi leave organisations exposed to cyber threats. Experts urge providers to:
- Strengthen password policies
- Train staff on cyber risks
- Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Learn more.
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