A mock CQC inspection that tells you the truth.
An inspection-style review of your records, practice and culture, carried out by people who have been on the other side of the table. You get a written report ranked by risk and a plan your team can deliver, within five working days.
For providers preparing for their next assessment.
A mock inspection is most useful before an assessment is due, after a change of manager, after a poor rating, or when something just does not feel right.
We look at your service the way an inspector would: what your records show, what staff and the people you support tell us, and whether the two match. Then we tell you, kindly and clearly, what an inspector is likely to find.
A mock inspection that only tells you what you want to hear is no use to you on the day.
Mock inspection findings
Ranked by risk, with owners and dates
Example. Fictional details.
What you receive
- On-site review against the five key questions
- Care records, medicines and staff file sampling
- Conversations with staff, people and families
- Governance and audit review
- Written report ranked by risk
- Prioritised action plan within five working days
A review that goes beyond the paperwork.
- Records. Care plans, risk assessments, daily notes, medicines records and staff files, sampled and tested against what we see and hear.
- Practice. Observation where appropriate, and conversations with staff at every level.
- People and families. What the people you support and their families say about their care.
- Governance. How incidents, audits, complaints and actions connect, and whether leaders know what is happening.
- Findings you can act on. Every finding is ranked by risk, so the most important things are fixed first.
How a mock inspection works
Planned with you, delivered on site, reported within a week.
Free call
We agree the scope, the size of the sample and any areas of concern.
Fixed quote
A clear price from £1,250, depending on the size of your service.
On site
Usually one or two days, with records, conversations and feedback at the end.
Report and plan
A written report and prioritised action plan within five working days.
What we review
Structured around the five key questions CQC asks of every service.
| Key question | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Safe | Risk assessments, medicines, safeguarding, incidents and learning, staffing and recruitment. |
| Effective | Assessment, consent, training and competency, delegated clinical tasks, outcomes. |
| Caring | Dignity, involvement, and what people and families tell us. |
| Responsive | Personalised care plans, complaints, end of life care where relevant. |
| Well-led | Governance, audits, oversight, culture and how leaders act on what they find. |
Common questions
Will you tell our staff it is a mock inspection?
Yes. We work openly with your team. The aim is to help them, not catch them out.
Is the report shared with CQC?
No. The report is yours and confidential. What you do with it is your decision.
Can you help us fix what you find?
Yes, if you want us to. Many providers use a clinical governance review or follow-up days to work through the action plan with us.
Are you preparing services for CQC's new assessment framework?
Yes. We review against the framework in use today, and highlight where your evidence will need to change as CQC moves to its new sector-specific frameworks.
Related services
Clinical governance review
An independent look at how incidents, audits, actions and oversight connect, with an improvement plan. £650 a day.
Read morePolicies and procedures
Practical policy packs for domiciliary care, complex care and supported living, editable and tailored on request. From £995.
Read moreDelegation and competency frameworks
Delegation policy, task register, competency tools and reassessment process for delegated clinical tasks. £650 a day.
Read moreFind out where you stand before CQC does.
Book a free call and we will agree the scope, the date and a fixed price for your mock inspection.
Free 30-minute call, then a fixed quote agreed before any work starts. Prices exclude VAT where applicable. See all services and prices