Governance & leadership
Management oversight, accountability, audits, risk controls, quality assurance, improvement systems and evidence of effective leadership.
Independent CQC readiness review
CQC Mock Inspections & Compliance Audits
Test how well your service can evidence safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led practice before a CQC assessment. Our mock inspection reviews the systems, records, leadership and day-to-day evidence behind your service and turns identified gaps into a prioritised improvement plan.
What a mock inspection covers
Evidence, governance and practice — not just policies
A useful mock inspection should test whether your written systems, staff knowledge, records and operational practice are consistent with each other and capable of demonstrating compliance.
Policies & procedures
Whether policies are current, relevant to the service, understood by staff and reflected in actual practice.
Care or clinical records
Sampling of records to review accuracy, consent, risk assessment, care or treatment planning, review processes and record quality.
Safeguarding
Staff knowledge, escalation routes, reporting arrangements, safeguarding records and evidence that concerns are acted on appropriately.
Medicines management
Where relevant, review of prescribing, storage, administration, recording, monitoring and medicine-governance arrangements.
Recruitment, staffing & competency
Recruitment files, DBS and references, induction, supervision, training, competency checks and workforce controls.
Complaints, incidents & learning
How concerns, complaints, incidents and Duty of Candour are managed, investigated and translated into learning and improvement.
People's experience
Feedback, involvement, dignity, choice, communication and evidence that care or treatment is person-centred.
Health, safety & infection prevention
Premises, equipment, emergency arrangements, infection prevention and control, environmental risks and local safety systems.
Quality assurance & evidence
Audit schedules, action plans, monitoring, key performance information and evidence that improvements are followed through.
Aligned to the current CQC approach
Built around how CQC assesses services
CQC continues to use the five key questions and assesses services against Quality Statements. Evidence may be gathered on site and off site, and CQC groups evidence into categories including people's experience, feedback from staff and leaders, feedback from partners, observation, processes and outcomes.
The exact scope is tailored to your sector, regulated activities, service model and current risk profile. A mock inspection is an independent consultancy review and is not a CQC inspection or rating.
- Five key questions
- Relevant Quality Statements
- Sector-appropriate evidence categories
- Regulations and provider obligations
- Triangulation of records, interviews and practice
How the process works
A structured end-to-end review
1. Scope & pre-inspection review
We agree the service, locations, regulated activities and priority areas, then request relevant documents and evidence in advance.
2. Governance & document review
We review selected policies, audits, risk registers, incidents, complaints, training information, care or clinical records and other governance evidence.
3. On-site or virtual assessment
The review can be delivered on site, remotely or through a blended approach depending on the provider and agreed scope.
4. Staff & leadership interviews
Where included, we test whether the Registered Manager, Nominated Individual, senior team and frontline staff understand the systems they are expected to operate.
5. Record & practice sampling
Samples are used to identify whether policies and procedures are being followed consistently in practice and whether evidence supports the service's claims.
6. Findings & action plan
You receive a structured report setting out strengths, gaps, regulatory risks and prioritised actions so management can address the most important issues first.
When to consider a mock inspection
Useful before, after and between CQC assessments
Providers commonly use mock inspections before an expected assessment, after significant organisational change, following complaints or incidents, when leadership changes, or as part of routine governance assurance.
- Before an anticipated CQC assessment
- After registration or a major service change
- Following concerns, complaints or incidents
- After a change of Registered Manager or leadership
- As part of periodic governance assurance
What you receive
Clear findings with practical next steps
Independent compliance review
An objective view of how the service is operating and whether the available evidence supports its compliance position.
Red-flag identification
Priority risks and evidence gaps are highlighted so leadership can distinguish urgent issues from lower-priority improvements.
Structured written report
Findings are organised into a clear report that can be used by leadership and governance teams to plan corrective work.
Prioritised action plan
Actions are arranged by significance so the provider can assign owners, timescales and evidence of completion.