CQC update for adult social care providers
A regular update for providers and professionals working in adult social care.
Dr Arun Chopra assumes role of Interim Chief Executive of CQC
Following Sir Julian Hartley’s departure as Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Dr Arun Chopra has stepped in as Interim Chief Executive.
Arun, formerly Chief Inspector of Mental Health, brings extensive experience as a consultant psychiatrist across the NHS and internationally, and is a recipient of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ President’s Medal. He has pledged continuity, consultation, and stronger regulation to ensure effective care.
Chris Dzikiti—a registered mental health nurse with over 20 years’ experience—becomes Interim Chief Inspector of Mental Health. Chris will lead the implementation of the Mental Health Bill and address urgent challenges in crisis care.
Recruitment for a permanent successor will begin soon.
There's still time to express your interest to attend our upcoming in-person workshop!
Express your interest to join an important conversation shaping the future of assessment frameworks in adult social care.
Why come?
Influence language, structure, and content
Help build a framework that reflects what matters most
Connect with peers and share insights
10 December | 10:30am – 4pm | London (venue TBC)
Led by Chris Badger, Chief Inspector for Adult Social Care and Integrated Care
Express your interest by 1 December using this form. We’ll confirm your spot by 3 December.
Help shape our future approach to assessing local authorities
We are assessing all 153 local authorities in England to review how they meet adult social care duties under Part 1 of the Care Act (2014). Most have already been assessed or are in progress. This first phase will conclude next year, with on‑site activity completed by December 2025.
Feedback and learning will shape our re‑assessment approach, developed with stakeholders and aligned to government priorities. To support future assessments, we plan to introduce rating characteristics, outlining what care, support, governance, and leadership should look like across each quality statement. These will guide professional judgement, align with best practice, and support the Secretary of State’s objectives.
Share your feedback on our online participation platform until Tuesday 9 December. Your feedback will help us further develop and refine the rating characteristics.
Visit our website for more information on this work and our local authority assessments
Our improvement plans for 2026
We’ve shared our latest update on the changes we’re making to improve the way we work. This includes progress on simplifying registration, reducing backlogs, and moving to sector-focused inspectorates.
We also set out longer-term plans to strengthen regulation, enhance digital platforms, and respond to recommendations from external reviews. These changes aim to make processes clearer and more efficient for providers.
You can read more about what’s changing and how you can help shape the future of regulation by sharing your feedback.
Understanding workforce shifts in adult social care
Skills for Care’s State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England 2025 report draws on over 700,000 staff records from 21,000 providers via the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC‑WDS).
ASC‑WDS supports providers with workforce planning, training, funding access, benchmarking, and data sharing with regulators.
Key findings:
Vacancy rates have dropped to 7%, back to pre‑pandemic levels.
Men now make up 22% of the workforce.
International recruitment remains vital, with 50,000 new recruits in 2024/25.
Only 38% of care workers hold a Level 2 qualification.
Contributing your data strengthens services and informs national policy. Visit ASC‑WDS to learn more or log in today.
Capacity tracker and adult social care: working together this winter
As winter pressures increase across adult social care, having accurate and timely data in Capacity Tracker helps everyone work together to keep patient flow moving and plan effectively across the system.
How you can help:
All CQC regulated adult social care providers are asked to update their data between 8-14 of each month, in line with ASC provider information provisions.
Keeping vacancy and additional capacity information current throughout the month, ideally every 48 hours, makes a real difference. It helps discharge teams access the latest information, reduces duplicate data requests, and supports safe, efficient discharge planning.
Your updates are vital to ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Thank you for your continued support.
Coming soon: CareFind for home care providers
From November, CareFind.com, the free public website that helps families find care home services, expanded to include home care providers. When you next log in to Capacity Tracker, you’ll be invited to create a public profile. The Capacity Tracker team will contact eligible providers with details of webinars, training, and online tutorials, keep an eye out for the email.
For support, contact the Capacity Tracker Support Centre (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm) at 0191 691 3729 or necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net.
NHS.net Connect Migration
NHS.net has introduced NHS.net Connect, the same secure service you already use, now with a new Launchpad to make access easier and more secure.
With NHS.net Connect, you can:
Access Outlook, Teams, shared mailboxes, and account settings in one place
Manage your account with fewer clicks and stronger security
Collaborate across organisations and quickly access trusted NHS tools
Work from any device; in clinic, in the community, or on the go.
Watch the video to see what’s new.
You don’t need to take any action right now. NHS.net will let you know when it’s time to switch, and you’ll receive step-by-step guidance to get started.
Other news
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The CQC fees scheme for providers, which covers our costs of provider regulation, will not change next year – in 2026/27. This means that, for many providers, your fees will remain the same, unless you have changed your registration – for example, by adding locations or service types. As in previous years, NHS trusts, NHS GPs and community social care providers may also see a change to their fees from April 2026 (up or down), as we update the variables (turnover, list size, number of people using the service) used to calculate their fees. You can find out more about our fees scheme at www.cqc.org.uk/fees.
We’ve recently updated some adult social care web pages. Visit the below links to see these changes:
The Department of Health and Social Care’s successful 'Make Care You Career' campaign connects passionate people with rewarding roles in care. Running until March 2025, the campaign will feature real care workers and recipients, showcasing the rewarding nature of care work and career progression opportunities. To make the most of the campaign:
Post your vacancies on the campaign website so jobseekers can find your roles easily.
Align recruitment activities such as job fairs or open days with the campaign period.
Use free campaign resources, including posters and social media templates.
Add the ‘Make Care Your Career’ logo to your materials to link with the national campaign.
It's not too late to get your vaccination to protect yourself and those you care for. You can book a flu jab appointment online at a pharmacy or through the NHS App. For further information, please visit the NHS website on flu vaccines.
The UK Health Security Agency has updated its cold weather communications toolkit for 2025/26. The communication material relates specifically to cold weather and is intended to provide basic health information that can be communicated before and during cold spells, so the right messages reach the right people at the right time. The communications toolkit supports the Weather-Health Alerting system, which issues cold-health alerts, and the Adverse Weather and Health Plan.
The British Institute of Human Rights published a brand‑new European Convention on Human Rights Zine on 4 November to mark 75 years of the European Convention on Human Rights and 25 years of the Human Rights Act. The Zine brings human rights law to life in a creative and engaging way, featuring real stories, artwork, and reflections from people across the UK. You can explore and download the Zine on the British Institute of Human Rights website. Please share it across your networks or directly via their socials:
LinkedIn: The British Institute of Human Rights
Instagram: BIHRhumanrights
Facebook: The British Institute of Human Rights
Skills for Care is researching how to improve its website and would value your input. Please complete a short survey on the tools you use and how easy they are to find. Responses are welcome from all roles, including infrequent users. Complete the survey.
Researchers at the University of Leeds are working with social care stakeholders to develop strategies to increase the number and diversity of men in social care roles. The study is seeking input from managers, male care workers, former care workers, and family or friends of people receiving care across England. Online meetings will be held for each group, and attendees (excluding senior leaders) will receive a £50 shopping voucher. To find out more or express interest, contact Emma McLorie at e.v.mclorie@leeds.ac.uk or call +44 (0)113 343 7552.
Guidance and links