CQC Ratings and why do they matter?

When you’re choosing a care home for a loved one or considering a move yourself, knowing that you’ll receive safe, compassionate, and high-quality care is essential. One way to help make an informed decision is by looking at a care home’s CQC rating.

But what exactly is a CQC rating?

In this blog, we’ll give you a helpful overview of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), how their inspections work, and what the ratings really say about a care provider.

What is the CQC?

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care services in England. They inspect and monitor services like GP surgeries, hospitals, and care homes to make sure they are delivering safe, effective, and high-quality care.

Every registered care provider is inspected regularly, and the findings from those inspections are used to issue a rating. That rating gives people a clear, quick snapshot of how well a service is performing.

The CQC’s Five Key Questions

When the CQC inspects a care home they take a close look at how things work and speak with residents, families, and the team to answer five key questions:

Is the service safe? Are residents protected from harm and abuse and is the environment clean and secure?

Is it effective? Do people get the right care and support for their needs, and are team members skilled and trained?

Is it caring? Are people treated with kindness, dignity and respect?

Is it responsive? Is care tailored to individual needs? Are concerns and feedback acted on?

Is it well-led? Is the home well-managed with clear leadership and values?

The answers to these questions are based on evidence gathered during the inspection, as well as what residents, relatives and team members share.

The Four Rating Levels

Once an inspection is complete, the CQC gives the care home an overall rating:

Outstanding: The service is performing exceptionally well.

Good: The service is doing well and meeting expectations.

Requires Improvement: There are areas that need to be addressed.

Inadequate: The service is not providing acceptable standards of care.

Each of the five key questions also gets its own individual rating, which helps families see where a home is excelling or where improvements may be needed.

Why Do These Ratings Matter?

For residents and families, CQC ratings are a useful tool when comparing care homes. They provide an impartial, professional view of how well a home is performing and whether it meets legal standards.

A Good or Outstanding rating offers reassurance that the home is well-run and puts the well-being of its residents first. But even if a service is rated Requires Improvement, it doesn’t always mean it’s unsafe, it simply means the home needs to take steps to improve certain areas. These homes are monitored more closely and given the opportunity to make positive changes.

By law, care homes must display their CQC rating clearly, both inside the building and on their website so that families can see it at a glance.

What Happens If a Home Gets a Poor Rating?

If a care home receives a Requires Improvement or Inadequate rating, the CQC will set out what needs to be changed and return for another inspection, usually within six months. If improvements aren’t made, the CQC can take further action.

Care homes also have the right to challenge a rating if they believe the CQC hasn’t followed its own process properly. This is known as a rating assurance review.

How Can This Help Me Choose a Care Home?

While ratings are a great starting point, we always encourage families to read the full CQC inspection report (available on the CQC website), which goes into more detail about the home’s strengths and any concerns. It’s also important to:

• Visit the home in person
• Speak with the team
• Ask questions about the care offered
• Get a feel for the atmosphere and environment

At Tanglewood Care Homes, we are proud of the high standards across our homes, and we welcome open conversations with families. Whether you’re looking at respite care, residential support, dementia care or palliative services, our experienced team is here to help every step of the way.

CQC ratings are there to help you make confident, informed choices when it comes to care. They offer a clear view of how a home is performing and how it’s meeting the needs of its residents.

Choosing care is about trust, quality and peace of mind and understanding CQC ratings is a great way to start that journey with confidence.

If you’d like to find out more about Tanglewood’s care homes and our current ratings, get in touch with us, we’re here to help.