Understanding the CQC Single Assessment Framework — A Complete Guide for 2026

The CQC's Single Assessment Framework (SAF) represents the biggest change to how health and social care services are regulated in England in over a decade. If you manage a care home, run a domiciliary care agency, or advise providers as a consultant, understanding how this framework works is now essential to maintaining a good rating.

This guide explains what the Single Assessment Framework is, how it differs from the previous approach, what the 34 quality statements mean in practice, and what you need to do to prepare your service.

What Is the CQC Single Assessment Framework?

The Single Assessment Framework is the CQC's current approach to assessing all registered health and social care services in England. It was rolled out across adult social care from late 2023 into 2024 and represents a fundamental shift in how the CQC monitors, inspects and rates providers.

The most important change is this: under the old system, the CQC assessed services during periodic inspections and then left them alone until the next one. Under the Single Assessment Framework, the CQC monitors services continuously. Ratings can be updated at any point based on evidence gathered between formal inspections — which means providers must maintain high standards every single day, not just when an inspection is imminent.

What Replaced KLOEs?

Under the previous framework, the CQC assessed services using Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) — a set of over 300 detailed prompts grouped under the five key questions. Many providers found KLOEs complex and difficult to navigate.

The Single Assessment Framework replaces KLOEs with 34 quality statements — a much smaller, clearer set of commitments that describe what good and outstanding care looks like in practice. Each quality statement is linked to one of the five key questions and to specific regulations.

The 34 Quality Statements Explained

The 34 quality statements are grouped under the five key questions — Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Each statement is written as a "we statement" — describing what a service committed to good care should be able to say about itself.

For example, under Safe, quality statements include commitments around safeguarding, safe systems and processes, and safe environments. Under Well-led, statements cover governance, learning culture, and workforce management.

Inspectors do not necessarily assess all 34 quality statements at every inspection. They focus on the statements most relevant to the type of service and the evidence they have gathered. On average, around 9 quality statements are assessed per inspection — though this varies significantly.

The 6 Evidence Categories

Under the Single Assessment Framework, the CQC gathers evidence across six categories when assessing a service. Understanding these categories helps you know what kind of evidence to prioritise:

Note that not all six evidence categories apply to every service type. For domiciliary care agencies, the Observations and Outcomes categories are not currently used. For residential services, Outcomes is not currently used. This means people's experience and staff feedback carry particularly significant weight for these service types.

How the Scoring System Works

Under the Single Assessment Framework, each evidence category is scored on a scale of 1 to 4:

• 4 — Exceptional: Evidence is of the highest standard, well above what is expected
• 3 — Good: Evidence meets the standard expected
• 2 — Requires Improvement: Evidence falls below the expected standard
• 1 — Inadequate: Evidence is significantly below the expected standard

These scores feed into an overall score for each quality statement, which in turn produces scores for each of the five key questions, and ultimately an overall rating for the service. The CQC has published guidance describing what each rating level looks like for each quality statement — known as the Ratings Characteristics document.

What This Means for Your Service

The practical implications of the Single Assessment Framework for care providers are significant. Here is what you need to focus on:

Always-on compliance

You cannot prepare for an inspection in a few weeks and then relax. Your systems, documentation and staff need to be consistently good every day. The CQC can gather evidence and update ratings at any point.

Evidence of outcomes — not just processes

Having a policy is no longer enough. You need to show that your policies are working in practice and producing good outcomes for the people you support. This means robust auditing, incident analysis and quality monitoring.

Staff as your biggest evidence source

Under the Single Assessment Framework, the CQC actively seeks feedback from care workers — often by contacting them directly. Your staff need to be able to speak confidently and honestly about how your service operates. Regular supervision, training and open team culture are essential.

People's experience matters more than ever

The experiences of people using your service carry enormous weight under the new framework. Involving people in their care, acting on their feedback, and demonstrating that you listen to them is now central to achieving a Good or Outstanding rating.

Frequently Asked Questions