At C-CAF, we were thrilled to read the CQC's recent consultation, "Better regulation, better care."
It’s a refreshingly honest and vital step forward for the entire social care sector. The document clearly acknowledges the challenges of the 2024 single assessment framework, admitting that its complexity "limited the appropriate use of professional judgement" and that a "one-size-fits-all" approach is not effective.
But most importantly, the CQC's new strategy—what it calls a return to "the best of what we had before"—is a powerful validation of the very principles C-CAF was founded on. The CQC is signalling a clear move towards a more flexible, transparent, and expert-led future.
We are not just aligned with this new vision; we are ready to help deliver it. Here is how C-CAF’s model provides the ready-made solution for the CQC's new focus.
1. CQC's New Focus: Sector-Specific Frameworks
C-CAF's Solution: Assured Specialisms
The CQC has stated it will "re-introduce assessment frameworks that are specific to each sector."
This is a fantastic move! It’s a clear admission that a "one-size-fits-all" approach doesn't work. The expertise needed to assess a complex nursing service is different from that for a supported living environment.
At C-CAF, this has been our core belief from day one. We’ve always argued that consultants are not interchangeable.
This is precisely why we built our Specialism Assurance process. When a consultant applies to C-CAF, they don't just get a generic badge. They must prove their expertise in specific areas, which are then verified by our expert panel.
As the CQC itself now requires more specialist knowledge, the need for care providers to find consultants with verified specialisms in areas like "Turnaround Management," "Mental Health," or "CQC Registrations" is no longer optional—it’s essential.
2. CQC's New Focus: Clear Rating Characteristics
C-CAF's Solution: The MIPR Panel Review
The CQC is proposing to move away from its complex, mathematical scoring model. Instead, it will "re-introduce rating characteristics" and "award ratings directly at key question level with reference to" them.
This is another huge step forward for transparency. The CQC is replacing a rigid algorithm with expert human judgement, guided by clear standards.
This is exactly how our Mock Inspection Peer Review (MIPR) is designed. Our C-CAF Panel doesn't run a report through a complex scoring tool. Instead, they perform a rigorous peer review, assessing the consultant's work against three clear, qualitative standards:
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Methodology: Was the inspection process robust and systematic?
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Terminology: Was the language clear, professional, and sector-aligned?
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Characteristics: Was the report objective, evidence-based, and actionable?
Our MIPR process is the perfect working example of how to deliver high-quality, assured assessments based on professional judgement and clear, qualitative benchmarks—exactly what the CQC is now moving towards.
3. CQC's New Focus: The "Essential Peer Review Element"
C-CAF's Solution: We Are the Independent Peer Review Body
This is the most exciting part of the CQC's consultation.
The CQC states its intention for inspections to have "joint input from our own expert inspectors and external experts" and that "this peer review element to our assessment approach is essential to the quality of our assessments."
C-CAF is that system, fully built and operational today.
We are, by definition, an independent framework of vetted, external experts whose entire purpose is to provide peer review and assurance for the sector. Our panel is made up of the very "clinicians, managers and Experts by Experience" that the CQC is calling for.
A Shared Vision for the Future
The CQC's vision for a more flexible, transparent, and expert-led future is the right one for the entire sector. C-CAF is not a competitor to this vision; we are its accelerator.
We have already built the tools and verified the experts to help the CQC, providers, and consultants achieve this shared goal of "better regulation" right now. By embracing independent accreditation, we can collectively solve the legacy rating crisis and restore trust, transparency, and confidence in social care.
