E
ECC Compliance
Clarity · Confidence · Better care
Free briefing · Adult social care

CQC is changing how it inspects you in 2026.

The Single Assessment Framework is going. Here's what's actually changing, what stays the same, and what to do now — in plain English, tailored to your service. No jargon, no sign-up.

Correct as of June 2026. The new frameworks are still in draft and under consultation, so detail may change before they go live.

Your briefing
What this means for you

Changing What's changing

  • The Single Assessment Framework is being replaced with sector-specific frameworks — four of them, including one built specifically for adult social care.
  • Quality statements are being reframed as "supporting questions," much like the old Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs).
  • Numerical scoring is being removed. Ratings will be reached by professional judgement at key-question level.
  • "Rating characteristics" are being reintroduced — published descriptions of what each rating looks like — to guide and explain decisions.
  • Four new sector Chief Inspectors are leading the change, bringing specialist knowledge to each sector.

Staying What's staying the same

  • The five key questions: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led.
  • The four ratings: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate.
  • The fundamental standards and your duties under the regulations.
  • The expectation to evidence outcomes and people's experience — if anything, this gets stronger.

The timeline

Do now What to do now

    Don't wait for the new framework to find your gaps.

    Whatever the wording, CQC will still want evidence that you deliver good care — continuously, not in a pre-inspection scramble. The ECC Compliance Suite keeps you assessment-ready all year: a full mock inspection, training, safeguarding, medicines and more, in one place. Two tools are free, with 5 early-adopter places open.

    Thank you — you're on the list. In the meantime, comment CLARITY on the ECC LinkedIn post for the two free tools.

    Prefer not to share your email? Comment CLARITY on the post, or visit elizabethcareconsulting.co.uk.