Good morning. Here's what matters this week and what to do about it.
CQC's new assessment framework is being built right now — and you should care
The CQC closed its "Better regulation, better care" consultation in December with over 1,600 responses. This spring, it will analyse that feedback and begin developing new sector-specific assessment frameworks for adult social care. Pilot testing with selected providers follows. The final frameworks will be published in summer 2026, with implementation starting by the end of the year.
Why this matters. The current single assessment framework — the one with 132 data points and a scoring system even inspectors struggled to apply — is being scrapped. What replaces it will determine how your service is judged for the next five to ten years. The direction of travel is clear: sector-specific frameworks (so adult social care gets its own), simplified ratings based on professional judgement rather than complex scoring, and a return to clearer descriptors of what Good actually looks like. Routine inspections will run on a three-to-five-year cycle, with rapid response inspections for safeguarding concerns or whistleblowing.
What to do. Don't wait for the final framework to land. Start now: review your evidence portfolio against the five key questions (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led). Focus on governance — that's where every recent Inadequate rating has fallen apart. If CQC contacts you about piloting the new framework, say yes. You'll get direct insight into what inspectors will be looking for, and you'll shape the system.
The Health and Social Care Committee holds its final evidence session on the "cost of inaction on adult social care reform" inquiry on Wednesday 19 March. This inquiry has spent months building the case that not reforming social care is costing the NHS, local authorities, the Treasury, and individuals more than reform itself would.
Why this matters. The committee's report, when it comes, will be the most comprehensive parliamentary case for social care reform since the Dilnot Commission. The government has already responded to earlier findings (July 2025), confirming the Fair Pay Agreement consultation will happen this year and that secondary legislation will follow in 2026. But the committee has been pushing harder — on delayed discharges costing the NHS, on unmet need (Healthwatch estimates 1.5 million working-age people aren't getting care they're eligible for), and on the economic cost of unpaid carers dropping out of work.
What to do. Watch the 19 March session if you can — it will surface the numbers and arguments that shape funding decisions. When the report lands, use it. If you're negotiating fees with your local authority, the committee's findings will be the strongest evidence base you've had in years.
GPs are rejecting their contract — and that affects your residents
The BMA's GP Committee for England has rejected the proposed 2026/27 GP contract, which includes a new requirement that all clinically urgent patients must be seen same-day, with 90% of appointments taking place that day. The BMA says this can't be delivered safely with current GP numbers and will now ballot GPs on whether to accept or escalate.
Why this matters for social care. If GPs are overwhelmed by same-day demand, care home residents lose out. Getting a GP to visit a resident, review a medication, or sign off a hospital avoidance plan already takes too long in most areas. If general practice becomes more pressured, expect longer waits for the clinical input your residents need. This also matters for domiciliary care providers whose clients rely on GP access to stay out of hospital.
What to do. If you have a good relationship with your local GP practice, protect it. If you don't, now is the time to build one — before they get busier. Consider whether your service could benefit from aligned health support, such as pharmacy-led medication reviews or NHS-funded clinical input through Enhanced Health in Care Homes. Check whether your ICB has a local plan for care home GP access.
CQC still has no permanent Chair — one month on
It's now been nearly a month since Sir Mike Richards resigned as CQC Chair (6 February), and there has been no announcement of a replacement or even a recruitment timeline. The CQC also still has no permanent CEO — Dr Arun Chopra remains interim. The regulator is running a major consultation response, a framework redesign, a digital platform overhaul, and 9,000 assessments by September, all without settled leadership at the top.
Why this matters. Leadership vacuums slow decisions. The CQC's improvement plan is ambitious and specific, but delivering it requires someone with authority to make trade-offs and hold the organisation to its own timeline. Providers should assume the current trajectory continues — more inspections, more enforcement, framework changes on schedule — but should also be prepared for slippage if leadership appointments drag.
What to do. Nothing changes in practice. Continue preparing for inspections as if they're coming (because they are — 4,308 assessments published against a 9,000 target by September). Keep your CQC profile updated and your evidence portfolio current.
Tender alert
Dudley MBC — Supported Living Framework. Open framework for supported living services covering learning disability and autism, mental health, physical disability, and adults at risk. Two lots: long-term care and support, and short-term intensive intervention. Deadline: 31 March 2026. Find it on the In-Tend portal via Dudley's Black Country procurement site.
Also live: BCP Council outcomes-focused homecare framework (two lots — care and support at home, plus waking night assessment), Bradford day services opportunities, Sandwell community dementia service PME, and Herefordshire home care services market engagement event.
Your action item this week
Book time to review your CQC evidence portfolio. With new assessment frameworks coming in summer, a wave of inspections running through 2026, and five services placed in special measures in the last fortnight alone, this is not the week to be reactive. Block out two hours. Pull your last inspection report. Check your policies are current, your training matrix is up to date, your incident log is clean, and your governance meeting minutes show active oversight. If you find gaps, fix them this week — not when the inspector's in the car park.
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— The Care Operator