CQC regulations for domiciliary care explained
By Cura Compliance UK · Updated 17 October 2026
Domiciliary care in England is regulated by the Care Quality Commission because it delivers the regulated activity of personal care. The main rules sit in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, which set the fundamental standards, and CQC assesses providers against these through the quality statements in its single assessment framework.
Why domiciliary care is regulated at all
CQC regulates activities, not business types. A domiciliary agency is regulated because it carries out personal care, which means help with washing, dressing, eating, toileting or medication in a person's own home. If a service only does cleaning, shopping or companionship, it is not carrying out a regulated activity and does not register. The moment personal care is involved, registration is a legal requirement.
The fundamental standards
The 2014 Regulations set the fundamental standards, the level of care below which no provider may fall. The ones that shape a domiciliary agency's policies most directly include:
- Person-centred care (Regulation 9)
- Dignity and respect (Regulation 10)
- Need for consent (Regulation 11)
- Safe care and treatment (Regulation 12)
- Safeguarding from abuse and improper treatment (Regulation 13)
- Meeting nutritional and hydration needs (Regulation 14), where relevant to the package
- Good governance (Regulation 17)
- Staffing and fit and proper persons employed (Regulations 18 and 19)
- Duty of candour (Regulation 20)
The quality statements and the five key questions
Since the move to the single assessment framework, CQC assesses services against quality statements grouped under the five key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Each statement is an I or We statement describing what good looks like, and providers evidence how they meet it. Your policies and records are the evidence, so they should map to these statements rather than sitting in a generic bundle.
Registration and notifications
Before delivering personal care you must register with CQC, naming a registered manager who is fit for the role. Once registered, you must notify CQC of certain events under the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, such as serious injuries, safeguarding concerns, deaths and events that stop the service running. Failing to notify is itself a breach.
Where CuraFlow fits
CuraFlow's domiciliary care library is written and mapped to these regulations and quality statements, personalised to your agency, with review dates, acknowledgement tracking and audits. If you are new to registration, read how to prepare for a CQC inspection, then browse the domiciliary care library.
Frequently asked questions
- Which regulations apply to domiciliary care?
- The main framework is the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, which set the fundamental standards, alongside the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 for registration and notifications. CQC assesses providers against these through its quality statements.
- Does a domiciliary agency have to register with CQC?
- Yes, if it delivers personal care such as help with washing, dressing, eating, toileting or medication. Services offering only cleaning, shopping or companionship are not carrying out a regulated activity and do not register.
- What are the CQC quality statements?
- They are I and We statements grouped under the five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led) that describe what good care looks like. Under the single assessment framework, providers evidence how they meet each relevant statement.
Ready-to-use, regulator-aligned policies for your service
Browse the domiciliary care policy library