Get your CQC registration right first time, and be ready for your first inspection.
CQCNow shows you exactly what CQC needs from your service and gets your documents and people ready before you apply. Named advisors then prepare you for the registration interviews, the site visit and your first year as a registered provider. Free to start.
CQC rejected more than half of registration applications in June 2026.
Every application goes through a check for missing or unsuitable documents before CQC assesses anything. Miss one, and you start again at the back of the queue, while you keep paying for the premises and staff you had to have ready.
of registration applications CQC rejected in 2025/26, out of 74,299 it received.
rejected in June 2026, after CQC extended its document checks to more types of service.
of applications got a decision within 10 weeks in June 2026. CQC's target is 80%.
Sources: CQC board papers, 3 June 2026 (balanced scorecard, 2025/26) and 17 September 2026 (performance report, April to June 2026). The figures cover all registration applications, including registered manager applications and changes to existing registrations.
Doing it alone
- CQC's document list sits across several guidance pages, and none of them tells you when you have everything.
- Every document has to suit your service type, so a bought-in template can fail the document check.
- CQC has refused an applicant who bought policies online and couldn't say what was in them.
- A DBS check can take up to 60 working days, and your certificate has to be less than 12 months old when you apply.
With CQCNow
- One list of every document CQC needs from your service, plus the ones to keep ready for when it asks.
- Policies written for your service, checked against your statement of purpose and each other before you send them.
- An advisor who spent over ten years assessing services for CQC prepares you to explain every document you send.
- Every DBS check started in week one, with its date tracked against the day you plan to submit.
Support at every stage, from the first form to your first rating.
CQCNow lists every document CQC needs from your service, writes your policies for your service and starts every DBS check in week one. An advisor reviews the whole pack before you send it.
Your advisor prepares you, your registered manager and your nominated individual for the interviews, and gets you ready for the site visit. If CQC sends a notice of proposal, we help you respond within the 28 days.
We set up the duties that start the day you register: statutory notifications, your statement of purpose and the duty of candour.
Before CQC's first assessment, your advisor runs a mock inspection and helps you prepare for the real one.
What happens in your first year, step by step
Taken from CQC's own guidance, as at October 2026. CQC is changing how it assesses services, so we review this list every quarter.
| Stage | What CQC expects | How CQCNow helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Before you apply | Your premises, staff, policies and systems ready to start. An enhanced DBS check for each registered person, which can take up to 60 working days. A registered manager and, for an organisation, a nominated individual. | A list of everything CQC needs from your service, every DBS check started in week one, and a submission date you can plan around. |
| 2. Your application | Every form and supporting document sent at once. Each document suits your service type and carries your business name, an owner, dates and current legal references. | Policies written for your service, a check that every document agrees with your statement of purpose, and an advisor's review of the whole pack. |
| 3. CQC's checks | CQC checks the application is complete, then reviews your documents. If either check fails, it rejects the application, and a resubmission joins the back of the queue. | Your pack checked against CQC's requirements before you send it. |
| 4. Interviews and site visit | CQC may interview you and your registered manager, by phone, online or in person, and visits the premises for most new registrations. You have 28 days to agree dates. | Interview prep for you, your registered manager and your nominated individual, and site visit prep before the visit. |
| 5. The decision | A notice of decision means you can start. A notice of proposal gives you 28 days to respond. | Help to write your response to a notice of proposal. |
| 6. Day one | Statutory notifications apply from the day you register, and missing one is an offence. Tell CQC within 28 days of any change to your statement of purpose. The duty of candour applies, and CQC invoices your first annual fee. | Your notifications, statement of purpose and duty of candour set up from your first day. |
| 7. Through the year | Adding a regulated activity or location needs CQC's approval first. A change of registered manager or nominated individual needs a notification. Adult social care services get an annual information request. | Your policies, training and records kept current in CompliantCare as the service grows. |
| 8. Your first assessment | CQC says it usually assesses all quality statements within 12 months for a newly registered service. Its current priorities pick up services registered for more than a year without one (two years in mental health). | A mock inspection with your advisor before CQC arrives, and help preparing for the assessment. |
| 9. Your first rating | Display your rating within 21 days of CQC publishing it. | CompliantCare keeps you inspection-ready for every assessment after that. |
Sources: CQC guidance for providers on registering as a provider, supporting documents, DBS checks, assessing your application, statements of purpose, notifications, fees and how CQC reaches a rating; CQC's assessment priorities update of 26 May 2026; the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.
Named advisors, with CQC and NHS experience.
Georgina spent over ten years as a Specialist Professional Advisor to CQC in adult social care, assessing services against the regulations. She now runs a compliance consultancy, doing the same work from the provider's side.
Charlotte has been the named Clinical Safety Officer for GP practices across an NHS integrated care board, accountable for showing the digital systems they use are safe.
Marcus was appointed OBE for bringing life-saving medical innovation into the Ministry of Defence, where he introduced telemedicine. He has 31 years of clinical leadership experience.
After your first rating, CompliantCare keeps you inspection-ready.
CQCNow runs on the same account as CompliantCare, our compliance platform, so your documents and records stay in one place after you register.
Policies drafted from the regulations you fall under, and redrafted when a rule changes.
Audit ManagementAudits scheduled and run with evidence captured as you go, and every finding tracked to a fix.
Training SuiteRetraining assigned after an incident or policy change, with every completion recorded as evidence.
Incident ManagementIncidents reported once and run end to end, with the duty of candour tracked.
Risk ManagementA live risk register, with every control tracked to completion.
Inspection ReadinessA live view of your readiness, and a one-click inspection pack when CQC calls.
Common questions
Is CQCNow part of the Care Quality Commission?
No. CQCNow is a Safe Workplace module. We're not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Care Quality Commission. One of our advisors, Georgina Turner, spent over ten years as a Specialist Professional Advisor to the regulator.
When does CQCNow open?
Soon. Join the waitlist and we'll email you when it opens. People on the waitlist get access first.
How much does CQCNow cost?
You can start for free. Join the waitlist and we'll send you the details when CQCNow opens.
Can CQCNow submit my CQC registration application for me?
No. CQC takes applications from the provider. CQCNow makes sure what you send is complete, written for your service and consistent, and an advisor reviews the pack before you send it.
Which services does CQCNow cover?
Services registering with CQC in England, including home care, supported living, care homes, dental practices and online primary care.
What happens after my first year?
You carry on with CompliantCare, our compliance platform, on the same account. It keeps your policies, audits, training and incidents current, so you stay ready for every CQC assessment after the first.
Join the CQCNow waitlist
Free to start. Drop your email and we'll tell you when CQCNow opens. People on the waitlist get access first.
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CQCNow is a Safe Workplace module for services in England. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Care Quality Commission. Last reviewed: 8 October 2026.