Policies
Policy templates that must be made specific to your service.
Policies should describe how your service actually operates, who is responsible, when action is required and how learning is reviewed.
Registration policies
Safeguarding, consent, complaints, governance, infection prevention, medicines, recruitment and equality.
Operational procedures
Procedures for staff practice, escalation, recording, reviews, communication and manager oversight.
Version control
Issue dates, review dates, owners and approval records to evidence Well-led governance.
Safeguarding & Protection
In the policy set: Safeguarding adults and Whistleblowing and speaking up. A safeguarding policy is on CQC's list of documents every applicant sends. A whistleblowing policy is not on that list, but it is one a registered provider needs in place from day one.
Mental Capacity & Consent
Consent, mental capacity and deprivation of liberty: this policy is withheld pending specialist legal review and is not included in the policy set. A consent policy is a required registration document, and CQC checks it against your care planning.
Medicines Management
In the policy set: Medicines management. Required with every application, and written for a service that administers rather than one that only prompts.
Infection Prevention & Control
In the policy set: Infection prevention and control. Required with every application; CQC publishes what it must contain.
Recruitment & Workforce
In the policy set: Safer recruitment and fit and proper persons. Built around Schedule 3 — the information you must hold on every person employed.
Governance & Quality Assurance
In the policy set: Policy register and adaptation guide — owners, issue and review dates and approval records, which is the evidence Well-led asks for. CQC also requires a governance and quality assurance policy with every application.
Data Protection & Records
In the policy set: Data protection, confidentiality and records. Covers UK GDPR, confidentiality, record keeping and retention.
Complaints & Duty of Candour
In the policy set: Complaints, concerns and compliments and Duty of candour. The complaints policy is a required registration document; duty of candour is Regulation 20.
Business Continuity
In the policy set: Business continuity and emergency planning. Care homes must send a business continuity plan with the application; every service should hold one.
Templates and tools are provided for guidance and must be reviewed, personalised and adapted to the provider’s service, registration, policies, risks and professional judgement. Using an unedited template does not make a service compliant.