CQC Single Assessment Framework Explained
CQC's Single Assessment Framework replaced the previous inspection approach. Instead of Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs), inspectors now assess services against Quality Statements. Here's what you need to know. New to the CQC generally? Start with our plain English guide to what the CQC is.
What Changed?
The Single Assessment Framework (SAF) was introduced to create a consistent way of assessing quality across all health and social care services — from GP practices to care homes to hospitals.
The five key questions remain the same:
- Safe — are people protected from harm?
- Effective — does care achieve good outcomes?
- Caring — are staff kind and compassionate?
- Responsive — is care tailored to people's needs?
- Well-led — is the service well-managed?
What changed is how each key question is assessed. KLOEs and prompts have been replaced by Quality Statements.
What Are Quality Statements?
Quality Statements are "we statements" that describe what good care looks like. They are written from the provider's perspective — for example:
- "We have a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and we learn lessons when things go wrong"
- "We always discuss and review people's medicines with them"
- "We understand the causes of inequalities and we take action to address them"
Inspectors assess how well services meet these statements using evidence from multiple sources — not just what they see on the day.
Under the SAF, CQC uses information it holds between inspections to inform assessments. This means your notifications, complaints data, and any concerns raised all feed into how you are assessed — even before an inspector visits.
The Six Evidence Categories
Inspectors gather evidence across six categories:
| Category | What it includes |
|---|---|
| People's experience | Feedback from service users, relatives, advocates |
| Feedback from staff and leaders | What staff say about the culture and leadership |
| Feedback from partners | Views from other organisations you work with — commissioners, GPs, local authorities |
| Observation | What inspectors see directly during a visit |
| Processes | Policies, procedures, governance systems |
| Outcomes | Actual results — incidents, complaints, health outcomes |
How Are Services Scored?
Each Quality Statement is scored on a scale:
- 4 — Exceptional — contributes to an Outstanding rating
- 3 — Good — contributes to a Good rating
- 2 — Requires improvement
- 1 — Inadequate
These scores aggregate to produce ratings for each of the five key questions, and an overall rating. See our guide on what each CQC rating means and how to improve yours.
What Does Outstanding Look Like Now?
To achieve Outstanding, your service needs to demonstrate exceptional practice against Quality Statements. This typically means:
- Going beyond minimum requirements in measurable ways
- Evidence that your approach has positively impacted outcomes
- Innovation that could be shared with others
- Strong involvement of service users in shaping the service
- A culture of continuous learning and improvement
What's Changing Again in 2026?
Just as providers have adjusted to the Single Assessment Framework, CQC is reforming it. In March 2026, following independent reviews by Dr Penny Dash and Professor Sir Mike Richards, CQC published draft sector-specific assessment frameworks for consultation. The consultation closed on 12 June 2026.
The headline change: the 34 Quality Statements are being replaced by 24 Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) — a term that will be familiar to anyone who worked under the pre-SAF system. Numerical scoring is being removed, and CQC is reintroducing plain-English "rating characteristics" that describe what each rating level looks like in practice.
- The five key questions (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led) are not changing
- The six evidence categories above are expected to remain the underlying structure
- The single merged framework is being split into four sector-specific frameworks: adult social care, mental health, primary/community care, and hospitals
- Providers who deliver more than one type of service may be assessed under more than one framework
The current Single Assessment Framework — 34 Quality Statements and all — remains fully in force. CQC expects to confirm the final frameworks in summer 2026, with rollout to providers beginning late 2026. Keep preparing against the current framework; there's no need to change your governance systems yet, but it's worth familiarising your team with the concept of KLOEs returning so the transition isn't a surprise.
Questions about the new framework?
Our AI can answer specific questions about how the Single Assessment Framework applies to your service.
Ask a question — from £2.50 →How to Prepare for Assessment Under the SAF
Our complete CQC inspection checklist covers the documentation side in detail. At a framework level, focus on:
- Read CQC's Quality Statements for your service type
- Map your current evidence against each statement
- Identify gaps and create action plans
- Gather feedback from service users regularly
- Ensure your governance systems produce clear outcome data
- Brief your staff on the new framework