An interactive visual flowchart covering every regulated care service type in England — your regulator, your route, every document you need. Download individual forms free while the offer lasts.
If the provider directly delivers regulated health activities — nursing care, complex clinical treatment — not an external NHS team, then CQC registration is required alongside your primary regulator. Two separate applications, two separate regulators. A visiting district nurse does NOT trigger CQC. Your own staff delivering nursing care DOES.
| Service type | Client group | Regulator | Key legislation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's home | Under 18 | Ofsted | Children's Homes (England) Regs 2015 |
| Children's home + provider nursing | Under 18 | Ofsted + CQC | CH Regs 2015 + Health & Social Care Act 2008 |
| Supported accommodation (16–17) | 16–17 | Ofsted | Supported Accommodation (England) Regs 2023 |
| Residential special school | Under 18 | DfE + Ofsted | Education Act 2002; Children Act 1989 |
| Fostering service | Under 18 | Ofsted | Fostering Services (England) Regs 2011 |
| Adoption agency | Under 18 | Ofsted | Adoption Agencies Regs 2005 |
| Early years / childminder | 0–8 | Ofsted EYR | Childcare Act 2006; EYFS Framework 2024 |
| Domiciliary / home care (adults) | Adults 18+ | CQC | Health & Social Care Act 2008 |
| Residential care home (adults) | Adults 18+ | CQC | Care Act 2014; CQC (Registration) Regs 2009 |
| Nursing home | Adults 18+ | CQC + NMC | As above + NMC Standards |
| Supported living (personal care) | Adults 18+ | CQC | Health & Social Care Act 2008 |
| Hospice / end-of-life care | Adults 18+ | CQC | Health & Social Care Act 2008 |
| Mother & baby unit | Mixed | CQC + Ofsted | Depends on service model — verify both |
Always verify requirements directly with Ofsted and CQC before submitting any application. This guide is for information only.
Use this checklist before submitting your registration application. These are the documents and evidence points that Ofsted and CQC consistently query when they are missing or inadequate.
Shows what the service does, who it is for, and how it will operate. Must match your registration exactly.
Proves the service is sustainable. Include funding source, staffing model, opening costs.
Sets out how the service protects service users and reports concerns. Mapped to current legislation.
Covers safe administration, storage, recording, and disposal of medication.
Statutory requirement. Must include escalation routes to the regulator and local authority.
DBS checks, references, employment history checks for all staff and key persons.
Demonstrates staff competence from day one. Include mandatory training for all roles.
Premises, activities, individual service users, staffing, and environmental risks.
Equality Act 2010 compliance. Covers staff and service users.
UK GDPR compliant. Covers how you handle, store, and share personal data.
Includes fire risk assessment, evacuation plan, COSHH assessment, lone working.
Must name a responsible person. Staff must know how to raise concerns safely.
Required for all children's homes. Must include MASH, police, and local authority notification procedures.
Covers de-escalation, proportionate response, restraint (if applicable), and post-incident support.
Only if restraint will ever be used. Must reference PRICE, Team Teach, or equivalent framework.
How you receive, induct, review, and transition young people. Covers placement agreements.
Essential for homes accommodating young people with mental health presentations.
Modern slavery, CSE, and criminal exploitation awareness and response.
MCA 2005 compliance. Who can consent, how decisions are made, and how DoLS/LPS authorisations are managed.
CQC KLOE on safe care. Includes malnutrition screening (MUST), fluid monitoring, and dietary needs.
NICE quality standard, DNACPR decisions, family communication, preferred place of care.
Post-COVID essential. Include PPE, outbreak management, hand hygiene, and CQUIN compliance.
Moving and handling legislation, risk assessment, equipment checks, staff training evidence.
CQC fundamental standard. How you involve service users in decisions about their care.
Ready-to-use forms for day-to-day care operations. Each opens in your browser for completion.
Tailored statement of purpose templates for each regulated service type. Includes all required regulatory references.
Full compliance policies — each mapped to the specific CQC regulation or Ofsted standard it satisfies. Download only the ones you need.
The free downloads above are template versions. For fully personalised PDFs with your agency name, logo, registration numbers, staff names, and QR verification — use our paid service.
These are the most common reasons applications are delayed, rejected, or result in poor inspection outcomes. Read these before submitting anything.
If a service accommodates children under 18 and provides care or significant supervision, it is likely a children's home regardless of what you call it. Ofsted and the courts look at the substance of the service, not the label.
Every associated person must submit an SC2. Missing SC2s — even from one person — stall the entire application. Ofsted will not progress without them all.
Policies copied from the internet or another provider without adaptation will fail inspection. Inspectors check that policies reflect the actual service model, staffing, client group, and location. Generic policies are a red flag.
For CQC, the statement of purpose must exactly match the registered activities and location details. Discrepancies cause registration delays and can affect your first inspection rating.
Admitting any child or adult to a regulated service before registration is confirmed is a criminal offence. The application must be submitted and registration granted before any person is accommodated or cared for.
Both Ofsted and CQC may inspect premises before granting registration. If the home is unfinished, unfurnished, or not compliant, the application will stall. Do not apply until the premises are inspection-ready.
Children's home managers typically need the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management in Residential Childcare (or equivalent). CQC services require relevant qualifications. Appointment of an unqualified manager delays the application.
Both regulators assess whether the provider can operate safely. A business plan that assumes full occupancy from week one, or that does not account for staffing ratios and overheads, will not withstand scrutiny.
Enhanced DBS checks, including children's and adults' barred lists where applicable, must be in place for all relevant persons before registration. A single outstanding DBS can stall the whole application.
Many providers assume Ofsted registration covers all activities. If the provider directly delivers regulated health activities (not an external NHS team), CQC registration is also required. Not having CQC registration where needed is a serious breach.
Our compliance team offers a 2-hour registration readiness consultation. We review your service model, tell you which regulator and route applies, and identify any gaps before you submit anything.
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