Understanding CQC information
Care Quality Commission ratings are a useful starting point, not the whole picture.
The four ratings
- Outstanding — the service is performing exceptionally well.
- Good — the service is performing well and meeting expectations.
- Requires improvement — the service is not performing as well as it should.
- Inadequate — the service is performing badly and action has been taken.
Some services show as Not yet rated. This usually means the service is newly registered or has not yet been inspected — it is not a judgement about quality.
The five key questions
Inspectors ask whether a service is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. A provider can score differently on each, so it is worth looking beyond the overall rating.
Reading the date
Ratings reflect the last inspection. A service may have changed since then, for better or worse. Always read the full report and ask the provider what has changed.
Source
All ratings, registration details and regulated activities shown on this site are sourced from the Care Quality Commission.