I work with UK care homes and the #1 reason they get rated "Requires Improvement" by CQC is Regulation 17 — good governance. Specifically: scattered evidence across paper notes, WhatsApp messages, and Excel spreadsheets.
So I built 3 free tools and a compliance app to help. No signup required for the tools, everything runs in your browser.
1. CQC Inspection Checklist Generator
21 compliance categories mapped to CQC's 5 key questions (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led). Check off what you have evidence for, get a readiness score, download as PDF.
Try it free: CQC Inspection Checklist
2. Care Home Compliance Score Calculator
10 questions about your compliance practices. Scored against CQC rating bands (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate). Shows exactly which areas need attention.
Try it free: Compliance Score Calculator
3. CQC Readiness Quiz
15 quick yes/no questions covering all 5 key areas. Step through one at a time, get a detailed breakdown with specific recommendations per area.
Try it free: CQC Readiness Quiz
The Bigger Problem
These tools help you check your readiness at a point in time. But CQC compliance isn't a one-off checklist — it's a daily practice. The real challenge is:
- Carers recording evidence during care, not hours later from memory
- Managers seeing compliance gaps before an inspector finds them
- Generating an inspection pack in minutes, not days
That's why I also built AlwaysReady Care — a free compliance evidence layer that sits on top of whatever care planning system you already use (PCS, Nourish, Log my Care, etc.). Carers record evidence in 60 seconds from their phone. AI structures the notes. Managers see a live readiness score across 21 CQC categories.
Why I Built This
37% of UK care homes still use paper records. CQC's new Single Assessment Framework requires more structured evidence than ever — 34 quality statements across 6 evidence categories. Most care software is expensive (£179-£4,500/month) and wants you to replace everything.
These tools are free. The app is free to start. No rip-and-replace.
If you run a care home or know someone who does, try the tools and let me know what you think.
Built for the 29,700+ CQC-registered care locations across England.
Originally published at https://tool.teamzlab.com
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