Care & support · England
What is the CQC?
Your browser or device provides the reading voice.
CQC is short for Care Quality Commission.
This guide is about England.
What CQC does
CQC checks health and care services.
It checks health services for children and adults.
It also checks adult social care.
Places it checks
CQC checks places like hospitals and care homes.
It also checks GP practices and dentists.
It checks services that give personal care at home.
Listening to people
CQC listens to people who use services.
It visits services and checks information.
It looks at whether care is safe and meets people’s needs.
Putting things right
CQC can tell services to improve.
It can take action when services break the rules.
Reading reports
CQC writes reports about services.
You can read them on its website.
Ask someone to help you find and understand a report.
What ratings mean
Many services have a rating.
This tells you what CQC thinks about their care.
Some services do not have a rating.
The four ratings
Outstanding means care is very good.
Good means care meets CQC’s expectations.
Requires improvement means care needs to get better.
Inadequate means care is poor and CQC has taken action.
Check the date
Look at the date on the report.
Care may have changed since CQC checked it.
You can still speak up if you are worried.
Tell CQC about care
You can tell CQC about good care.
You can tell CQC if something worries you.
Say which service you mean and what happened.
Getting help to speak up
You can ask someone you trust to help you.
An advocate helps you explain your views.
Tell CQC what communication help you need.
Your name and information
You can give feedback without giving your name.
Ask CQC how it will use or share your information.
If you want to complain
Usually, complain to the service first.
Ask for help to use its complaints process.
CQC uses feedback to check services.
It usually cannot sort out your own complaint.
Mental Health Act complaints
There is a separate route for some Mental Health Act complaints.
CQC can check complaints about how this law was used.
Ask an independent mental health advocate for help.
If someone is unsafe now
Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger.
You can tell the council about abuse or neglect of an adult.
Do not wait for CQC to answer.
Contact CQC
You can phone CQC on 03000 616161.
You can email enquiries@cqc.org.uk.
The link below opens CQC’s feedback form.
What you can do next
You can share a good experience or a worry.
The form may use harder words.
You can ask someone to help.
Tell CQC about care Web pageThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- CQC: Easy Read publications Web pageEasy Read resources
CQC reports and guidance in Easy Read. Some publications are older, so check their dates.
- CQC: ratings explained Web page
The four ratings and why some services do not have a rating.
- CQC: complaints about a care service Web page
Where to complain and how this differs from giving CQC feedback.
- CQC: complaints about the Mental Health Act Web page
The separate route for concerns about how the Act has been used.
- Contact CQC Web page
Phone, email and help with communication.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
What is the CQC?
What the Care Quality Commission checks, what its ratings mean, and how to tell it about care.
England · Health and adult social care
Who is the CQC?
The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. A regulator checks whether services meet required standards. Health services can help children and adults. CQC does not regulate all kinds of support.
Which services does it check?
Examples include hospitals, GP practices, dentists, care homes and services providing personal care at home. Providers must register with CQC for activities covered by the law. This includes NHS services and independent providers.
How does it check care?
CQC listens to people, gathers information and inspects services. It asks whether care is safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led. It can require improvements and take enforcement action when care breaks the rules.
Reports and ratings
CQC publishes findings on its website. Its four ratings are Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Not every service has a rating: for example, dental practices are inspected but not rated. Check the report’s date and details; a rating is not a guarantee of your experience today.
Sharing your experience
You can share good experiences and concerns. Explain which service you mean, what happened, when it happened and how it affected you. This helps CQC decide what to check and where action may be needed. You can give feedback without your name. Ask how your information may be used or shared.
Help to contact CQC
Use its feedback form, phone 03000 616161 or email enquiries@cqc.org.uk. Tell CQC about communication support, an interpreter or another format you need. Someone you trust or an advocate can help you explain your views.
Making a complaint
CQC generally cannot investigate or settle your individual complaint about a care service. Usually complain to the provider, or the organisation responsible for arranging the care, first. Ask for its complaints process. The related guides explain advocacy and when an Ombudsman may help. You can also tell CQC about the concern.
Complaints about the Mental Health Act
CQC has a separate role investigating complaints about how the Mental Health Act has been used. This can include detention, guardianship and community treatment orders. Usually complain to the service first; CQC checks whether it can investigate. An independent mental health advocate can help. This route does not itself appeal your detention or guarantee discharge.
If someone is unsafe now
CQC is not an emergency service. Call 999 for immediate danger or a medical emergency. Concerns about abuse or neglect of an adult can also be reported to the local council’s adult safeguarding team. Ask someone you trust for help to make the report.
Words you could use
“Please help me find the CQC report and explain how I can speak up about care.”
More useful links
- CQC: Easy Read publications Web pageEasy Read resources
CQC reports and guidance in Easy Read. Some publications are older, so check their dates.
- CQC: ratings explained Web page
The four ratings and why some services do not have a rating.
- CQC: complaints about a care service Web page
Where to complain and how this differs from giving CQC feedback.
- CQC: complaints about the Mental Health Act Web page
The separate route for concerns about how the Act has been used.
- Contact CQC Web page
Phone, email and help with communication.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 5 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- CQC: about us Web page
Registration, inspection, listening to people and action to protect people.
- CQC: how we do our job Web page
Regulatory role and assessment of services.
- CQC: services we regulate Web page
Health and adult social care services within CQC’s remit.
- CQC: ratings and scores Web page
Four ratings, published findings and services without ratings.
- CQC: complain about a service or provider Web page
Distinction between regulatory feedback and individual complaints.
- CQC: complain about use of the Mental Health Act Web page
Separate Mental Health Act complaints remit.
- CQC: contact us Web page
Contact details and communication support.
- CQC: report a concern as a member of the public Web page
Safeguarding and urgent concerns.
- CQC: give feedback on care Web page
Sharing experiences of care, including feedback without giving your name.