Dr Richard Dune

03-07-2025

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Will “The CQC Way” fix regulation in health and social care?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is undergoing a significant transformation under Sir Julian Hartley, its newly appointed Chief Executive. Amid growing frustration over delays, inefficiencies, and outdated assessments, the CQC has launched a new framework, the ‘CQC Way’, to restore trust, improve transparency, and ensure more effective regulation.

But what does the “The CQC Way” really mean for health and social care providers? Will it simplify assessments, speed up registrations, and create a fairer regulatory process, or is it just another strategy that fails to address fundamental challenges?

In this blog, Dr Richard Dune explores what the “The CQC Way” is, its key priorities, and how it could impact health and social care compliance.

What is “The CQC Way”?

“The CQC Way” is the regulator’s new vision for improving assessment processes, engaging with providers, and delivering a fairer regulatory system. Sir Julian has outlined three core priorities:

• Reaffirming CQC’s purpose - Strengthening its mission to ensure safe, effective, and high-quality care while encouraging continuous improvement.
• Delivering immediate improvements - Addressing the assessment backlog, outdated ratings, and delayed provider registrations.
• Embedding long-term regulatory reform - Co-designing a more transparent, efficient, and responsive regulatory framework with health and social care providers, stakeholders, and the public.

Why is “The CQC Way” necessary?

The CQC has faced severe criticism over the past two years, particularly regarding:

• Delays in provider assessments - Leading to outdated ratings that do not reflect current service quality.
• A backlog of registrations - Preventing new services from operating efficiently.
• Slow response to concerns - Reducing public confidence in the regulator’s ability to protect patient safety.

Sir Julian acknowledges these failings and is committed to delivering a more effective, transparent, and collaborative approach to regulation.

The four immediate actions under the “The CQC Way”

While long-term reforms are crucial, “The CQC Way” also addresses the most pressing regulatory issues. These include:

• Publishing overdue reports
• Increasing monthly assessments
• Clearing the registration backlog
• Acting promptly on concerns and notifications.

Long-term vision - A new charter for CQC regulation

Beyond these urgent actions, CQC is co-designing a long-term regulatory framework that will define:

• CQC’s core purpose - Ensure safe, effective, and high-quality care across health and social care services.
• Medium- and long-term goals - Improving assessment and improvement strategies to support providers.
• New values and behaviours - Creating a fair, open, and supportive regulatory culture that balances accountability with improvement.

CQC’s leadership team has been actively engaging with providers, sector representatives, and regulatory experts to shape this new approach.

What does “The CQC Way” mean for providers?

While the CQC’s proposed reforms sound promising, many providers remain sceptical. Will regulation genuinely become fairer, or will bureaucracy continue to slow down operations?

Challenges and concerns

• Uncertainty over implementation - Will these changes materialise quickly, or will providers continue to face delays and inefficiencies?
• Greater focus on leadership and workforce culture - The well-led framework may carry even greater weight in assessments.
• Regulatory scrutiny amid NHS and social care pressures - Will compliance demands increase for private and public sector providers under evolving government policies?

Ultimately, “The CQC Way” must deliver tangible results rather than become another theoretical framework.

Is “The CQC Way” a genuine reset or just another strategy?

Sir Julian Hartley’s vision is clear: to create a stronger, fairer, and more transparent regulatory system. However, for health and social care providers, the real question remains:

• Will CQC now deliver assessments and ratings fairly and on time?
• Will regulatory expectations become clearer and more supportive?
• Will bureaucracy be reduced, or will compliance requirements increase?

The coming months will reveal whether the ‘CQC Way’ is a genuine reset for regulation or just another ambitious yet unfulfilled strategy.

How ComplyPlus™ helps providers stay CQC-compliant

At The Mandatory Training Group, we recognise the growing challenges in regulatory compliance. Our ComplyPlus™ platform is designed to help providers stay ahead of CQC requirements by offering:

• CQC-aligned policies and procedures - Fully editable compliance templates for health and social care providers.
• Automated compliance tracking - Real-time monitoring of CQC requirements, workforce training, and policy updates.
• Learning Management System (LMS) - Delivering statutory and mandatory training to keep staff CQC-compliant.
• Live compliance dashboards - Audit-ready reporting tools for inspections and governance reviews.

Find out how ComplyPlus™ can help your organisation navigate regulatory changes effectively. Learn more about ComplyPlus™ here.

Final thoughts - The future of CQC regulation

Will the “The CQC Way” restore confidence in regulation? How will these changes affect compliance, governance, and workforce management? Are health and social care providers ready for a new era of CQC oversight?

CQC has invited further engagement from providers, professionals, and the public. Now is the time to shape the future of regulation by ensuring your voice is heard. What are your thoughts on "The CQC Way"? Do you think it will improve regulatory oversight, or do deeper reforms need to happen?

Ensuring compliance in this evolving landscape requires both awareness and action. Will the “The CQC Way” be the solution, or is there a need for deeper reform? The conversation is ongoing, and your voice matters.