Understanding CQC’s Quality Statements: A Plain English Guide

Written by Tracy Green | Oct 2, 2025 9:18:26 AM

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) reshaped how it regulates services through its Assessment Framework. At the core are 34 Quality Statements, each framed as a “we” statement. They describe what good care looks like from the perspective of people who use services.

But what do these statements really mean in day-to-day practice? And how can providers evidence them during inspection?

What Are Quality Statements?

The Quality Statements are clear, outcome-focused expectations written in plain English. For example:

“We protect people from avoidable harm and abuse.”
“We treat people with kindness, dignity and respect.”

They replace the old Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) and act as the backbone of inspection. Instead of being process-heavy, they ask: “Can you show us what good looks like for your patients and staff?”

Why They Matter for Providers

CQC inspections are now framed around these statements. That means:

Your policies, training, and governance systems should map directly against them.
Evidence needs to show not only that systems exist, but that they work in practice.
Inspections will focus more on outcomes and feedback than just written documents.

The Five Key Questions & Evidence Examples

Here’s how the 34 statements sit under the five key questions — with practical examples of the kind of evidence CQC might expect:

Key Question	Examples of “We Statement” Evidence
Safe	- Safeguarding logs, incident reports, and lessons learned. - Risk assessments for fire safety, infection control, and lone working. - Medicines audits showing error reduction. - Staff rotas and training records demonstrating safe staffing levels.
Effective	- Patient care plans showing needs assessment and regular review. - Clinical audits (e.g. antibiotic prescribing, chronic disease management). - Multidisciplinary meeting minutes demonstrating teamwork. - Staff training logs and appraisal records.
Caring	- Patient and family feedback forms. - Observations from mock inspections showing staff-patient interactions. - Equality and diversity training materials. - Case studies of patient involvement in care planning.
Responsive	- Accessibility policies (e.g. interpreters, easy-read materials). - Complaints log and evidence of changes made in response. - Waiting time monitoring reports. - Community engagement initiatives (e.g. Patient Participation Group minutes).
Well-led	- Board or partnership meeting minutes showing oversight of quality and risk. - Quality improvement plans and progress reports. - Staff surveys highlighting culture and wellbeing. - Use of data dashboards to track performance.

Making Quality Statements Work for You

To embed the Quality Statements into everyday practice:

Map Your Evidence – Create a matrix showing how your current policies, audits, and feedback align with each statement
Engage Your Team – Use the “we” language in staff meetings and training so it feels relevant and lived
Gather Real Stories – Patient testimonials, staff experiences, and case studies bring statements to life
Close the Gaps – Where evidence is thin, develop an action plan (e.g. more patient surveys, better complaint tracking)
Use an online assessment tool to identify and log your evidence.

The CQC’s Quality Statements shift the focus from paperwork to real-world outcomes. By collecting the right evidence — from audits to patient feedback — providers can demonstrate they don’t just have systems in place, but that they make a difference to people’s care.

Need help mapping your evidence to the 34 Quality Statements? Contact us today as we have developed an online tool that helps you do just this.

Our CQC compliance team can also work with you to create an evidence framework that gives you confidence and ensures you are inspection-ready.

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