What is the New CQC Assessment Framework?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is changing course again. For providers, managers and compliance leads, that matters because the framework CQC uses shapes how quality is described, how evidence is judged, how ratings are reached, and how inspection conversations are structured.

The older phrase "single assessment framework" is no longer the most useful way to understand where CQC is heading. CQC still has a live assessment framework built around five key questions and quality statements. Still, it is now consulting on a revised approach that would move away from one cross-sector framework and back towards sector-specific assessment frameworks, reintroduce rating characteristics, replace quality statements with supporting questions similar to Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs), and remove scoring from rating decisions. CQC has also said it plans to publish the final framework(s) in the summer of 2026 and begin implementation later in 2026.

That is why this topic matters now. Providers are not just adjusting to a renamed model. They are operating through a period of regulatory reset shaped by operational problems, provider feedback, independent reviews, and a national consultation on how CQC should assess and rate services going forward.

In this blog, Dr Richard Dune explains what the current CQC assessment framework is, why CQC is changing direction, what the consultation means in practice, and what health and social care providers should do now.

What is the current CQC assessment framework?

At present, CQC says its assessment framework comprises five key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led, with quality statements beneath them. Those quality statements are written as "we statements" and are intended to describe what high-quality, person-centred care should look like. CQC also states that the framework supports not only ratings and assessments, but also other regulatory functions such as registration, enforcement, some non-rated services, joint inspections, and local authority assessment activity.

In simple terms, the framework is the structure CQC uses to decide what good care looks like, what evidence to gather, how to organise its judgements, and how to explain those judgements to providers and the public. It sits alongside, not above, the legal framework. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and the Fundamental Standards remain the legal baseline, and CQC says those regulations continue to underpin its assessment frameworks and enforcement action.

That distinction is important. The assessment framework explains how CQC is likely to assess quality. The regulations tell you what providers must comply with.

Why is the term "single assessment framework" no longer the right focus?

For a time, CQC moved to a more unified model. In its 2025 consultation document, CQC said that when it introduced the streamlined single assessment framework in 2024, it brought together content from previous frameworks for healthcare services and adult social care services. It also replaced earlier KLOEs, prompt questions and rating characteristics with quality statements.

However, that model has not remained settled. Following internal learning, provider feedback and independent reviews, CQC is now proposing to move away from a single framework covering all provider types and instead reintroduce separate sector-specific assessment frameworks. Its initial consultation response states that respondents strongly supported this move, and CQC has already published four draft sector-specific frameworks covering adult social care, mental health care, primary care and community services, and secondary and specialist care.

So, when providers ask about the "new CQC assessment framework" in 2026, the most accurate answer is this: CQC is moving from the earlier single-framework approach towards a more sector-specific model that aims to be clearer, more transparent and easier to apply in practice.

Why is CQC changing direction?

CQC's current direction is not simply a branding exercise. It is a response to real concerns about how the earlier model worked in practice.

CQC has said that its consultation proposals were informed by extensive engagement and by the findings of reviews led by Dr Penny Dash, Professor Sir Mike Richards and the Care Provider Alliance. In the consultation foreword, CQC states that some of the proposed changes "return us to the best of what we had before".

Professor Sir Mike Richards' review is especially important in context. In the provider perspective section, the review records that providers were broadly supportive of the original ambition for more risk-informed and responsive regulation, but that serious concerns emerged about the framework and its implementation. The review notes that no formal consultation took place after the single assessment framework was developed, and that there was very little piloting before its rollout in December 2023. It also records concerns about the wider transformation programme and regulatory platform.

CQC's own consultation material says it is changing because it needs frameworks that better describe quality across all four rating levels, provide a clearer picture of quality and safety in different sectors, and make the frameworks simpler and clearer. It also wants to improve timeliness, clarity of reporting, consistency of approach, and the use of evidence.

In practice, that means CQC is trying to rebuild confidence in how it regulates.

What is CQC now proposing in the 2026 consultation?

The 2026 consultation points to four major changes in direction.

1. Sector-specific frameworks instead of one cross-sector framework

CQC says it intends to reintroduce sector-specific assessment frameworks. This is a major strategic shift because it acknowledges that different sectors need clearer, more tailored descriptions of what good looks like, even as the five key questions remain in place.

2. Rating characteristics are coming back

CQC is proposing to reintroduce rating characteristics for outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate care within each sector framework. The aim is to give providers, the public and CQC staff clearer descriptions of what each rating level looks like in practice.

3. Quality statements may be replaced by supporting questions

CQC has said that quality statements would be replaced with supporting questions framed as structured KLOEs. In its March 2026 update, CQC said these key lines of enquiry would describe what it will look for on assessments and inspections and would replace the current quality statements.

4. Scoring would be removed

CQC is proposing to remove scoring from its assessment methodology. Instead of building ratings up from scored quality statements, future rating judgements would be made holistically by inspection teams, using professional judgement informed by evidence, rating characteristics, and guidance.

Together, these changes suggest a move towards a model that is less formulaic, more inspection-informed, more sector-aware, and more explicit about what CQC expects to see.

What is not changing?

Several fundamentals remain stable.

The five key questions remain central to CQC's assessment approach. The Fundamental Standards remain the regulatory basis for care, and CQC has made it clear that these standards continue to underpin both assessment and enforcement. CQC also continues to use the familiar four-point ratings of outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.

There is also a continuing emphasis on people's experience. In the consultation on draft sector-specific frameworks, CQC says that "I statements" drawn from the Making It Real framework help ensure that lived experience remains central to its assessments.

So, while the architecture around the framework is changing, CQC is not abandoning the core questions of safety, effectiveness, compassion, responsiveness and leadership.

What does this mean for providers in practice?

The practical message is clear: providers should stop treating the framework as a static checklist and start treating it as a live regulatory method.

If CQC moves ahead as proposed, providers will need to be able to show not only that they comply with legal requirements, but also that they understand what good looks like in their own sector, can evidence quality across the five key questions, and can explain their judgements in a way that matches CQC's language.

That means evidence needs to be clearer, governance tighter, and assurance more routine. Waiting for an inspection announcement and then gathering evidence in a rush is increasingly out of step with the direction of travel. CQC has repeatedly emphasised clarity, transparency, timeliness, data, and evidence-based judgement.

For adult social care, healthcare, primary care, and community providers, that also means understanding that sector nuances matter again. A generic response to regulation will not be enough.

What should health and care providers do now?

As the CQC continues to reshape its assessment approach, providers should not wait for final frameworks before acting. This is a period of regulatory transition, and organisations that strengthen governance, evidence, and workforce assurance now will be far better positioned to succeed in inspections.

Review your evidence against the five key questions

Start with the basics. Can you show clear, current evidence that you are safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led? Is the evidence organised, up to date, and understood by operational leaders as well as compliance staff?

Rebuild around outcomes, not just documents

Policies matter, but evidence of implementation matters more. Providers should be able to show how governance, staffing, learning, safeguarding, quality assurance, complaints, incidents and service improvement work in practice.

Use the right language

Many providers still talk as if the "single assessment framework" is the settled future model. It is better to describe the current position accurately: CQC currently uses an assessment framework built around five key questions and quality statements, but is consulting on a move to sector-specific frameworks, supporting questions, rating characteristics and no scoring. That is a more defensible explanation in leadership meetings, audits and inspection preparation.

Follow the consultation and guidance updates

CQC's consultation on draft sector-specific frameworks is part of a live national process. CQC says feedback on those drafts will be used to refine each framework before piloting and testing, and the feedback period closes on 12 June 2026.

Strengthen training, competence and leadership assurance

Framework changes expose weak governance quickly. If leaders cannot explain how training, supervision, competence, incident learning, and quality improvement fit together, the risk of inspection rises. If you need a practical guide to the workforce evidence side of regulation, see our blog on what training is required for CQC compliance and our guide to the Care Quality Commission's regulatory requirements.

What are the common mistakes providers should avoid?

One common mistake is assuming that a framework change means the law has changed. It has not. The legal baseline remains the same.

Another is over-focusing on paperwork while under-delivering. CQC's direction of travel is towards clearer judgements about lived experience, quality, risk and leadership, not just whether a document exists.

A third mistake is relying on outdated terminology or outdated internal briefings. If senior teams are still preparing solely around historic KLOEs or treating the single assessment framework as the final settled model, they risk building assurance systems around a picture that is already moving on.

Finally, some providers separate compliance from improvement. That is a strategic error. CQC's published material makes clear that assessment frameworks are not just for inspection activity. They are meant to set expectations, support reflection, help spot poor care, and drive improvement.

Why this matters for boards, owners and senior managers

This is not just an operational issue for quality teams. Boards, directors, registered managers, and senior leaders need to understand the regulatory direction because the framework's design affects what evidence is gathered, how risk is interpreted, how quality is discussed, and how assurance is presented.

CQC says assessment frameworks should help providers understand what good care looks like, support clear and fair judgements, and adapt to future models of care. It also says strong, trusted relationships and a shared understanding of quality matter. That places a leadership obligation on providers to ensure governance systems are not merely compliant on paper but capable of producing coherent, timely, inspection-ready evidence.

In other words, this is as much a governance issue as a regulatory one.

FAQs about the CQC assessment framework

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers regarding the CQC Assessment Framework.

What is the CQC Assessment Framework?

It is the structure CQC uses to assess quality, organise evidence, and make judgements about health and social care services.

Is the "single assessment framework" still the right term?

Not really. It describes an earlier stage of CQC's approach, but CQC is now consulting on a move back to sector-specific frameworks.

Are the five key questions changing?

No. Safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led remain central to CQC's approach.

Are quality statements staying?

Possibly not in their current form. CQC proposes replacing them with supporting questions similar to KLOEs.

What are rating characteristics?

They describe what each rating level looks like in practice. CQC plans to reintroduce them to improve clarity and transparency.

Is CQC keeping scoring?

No, CQC is proposing to remove scoring and return to more holistic professional judgement informed by evidence and guidance.

Why is CQC changing the framework again?

Because of operational learning, provider feedback, and independent reviews that highlighted problems with the previous approach and its implementation.

When will the new framework be finalised?

CQC has said it plans to publish final assessment framework(s) in the summer of 2026 and begin implementation later in 2026.

Does this change the Fundamental Standards?

No. The Fundamental Standards remain the legal basis for regulated care and enforcement.

What should health and social care providers do now?

Review evidence against the five key questions, strengthen governance and training assurance, track the consultation, and prepare for more sector-specific and judgement-led assessment conversations.

CQC assessment framework comparison: KLOEs vs single assessment framework vs new sector-specific framework

Understanding CQC framework changes helps providers align evidence, governance and inspection readiness.

Executive summary table

An executive summary table helps readers quickly compare key points and understand the main compliance considerations at a glance.

Practical message for providers

Providers need clear, practical actions to keep compliance evidence current and inspection-ready.

Conclusion

The new CQC Assessment Framework is not a simple replacement of one label with another. It reflects a wider regulatory reset. The earlier single-framework model has exposed enough problems that CQC is now moving towards sector-specific frameworks, clearer rating characteristics, supporting questions in place of quality statements, and a more holistic approach to judgements.

For providers, the right response is not to wait for the final documents before reacting. It is to strengthen evidence, leadership assurance, training governance and inspection readiness now, using the current five key questions while keeping a close eye on the model CQC is building next.

Strengthen your CQC readiness

If you are reviewing your inspection readiness, governance evidence, or workforce assurance, explore our CQC compliance resources and support, as well as our CPD-accredited online courses. You can also view our CPD Certification Service provider profile to see our recognised accredited provision.

To discuss your organisation's needs regarding CQC readiness, governance systems, or staff training, please contact our team.