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Achieving an Outstanding CQC rating is the highest effective recognition a care provider can receive in the UK. It’s a mark of excellence that tells families, staff, and inspectors your service goes above and beyond in delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality care.
In our recent webinar, inspection expert Ed Watkinson, Director of Watkinson Consulting, shared his tried-and-tested strategies to help providers make the leap from Good to Outstanding. With over 35 years in social care — including experience as a care assistant, manager, commissioner, and CQC trainer — Ed’s insights offer a practical roadmap for success quickly.
Whether you’re working towards your Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care or leading a team as a Level 5 manager, these strategies can help you refine your practice, inspire your staff, and transform the way your service is seen by regulators.
Let’s explore Ed’s top tips and real-world examples that can give your CQC rating the boost it needs.
1. Push Boundaries for an Outstanding CQC Rating
What sets an outstanding provider apart from a good one? As Ed explains, it’s the ability to go beyond meeting expectations and instead deliver care that is innovative, person-centred, and deeply meaningful.
Take, for instance, a care home he inspected. At first, they involved residents in growing vegetables in the garden—a lovely practice that already contributed positively to wellbeing and would earn a solid “good” rating. But they didn’t stop there. The team went a step further and used those same vegetables in the meals served to residents. This created a holistic, community-focused experience that gave residents a sense of pride and purpose, while also enriching daily life.
It’s exactly these small, thoughtful innovations that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) looks for when awarding outstanding ratings.
Actionable Tip: Review your current practices and ask yourself: “What’s one extra step we could take?” Whether it’s integrating local community resources, enhancing daily activities, or finding new ways to give residents a stronger voice, even small adjustments can impaact your CQC rating.
2. Embed Your Service in the Community for a Stronger CQC Rating
Ed emphasised that outstanding providers don’t operate in silos—they’re woven into their local community. The CQC looks for services that engage with local health services and align with community needs. For instance, a domiciliary care provider might partner with local GPs or community centers to support service users, showing a commitment beyond basic care delivery.
I’ve seen care homes transform by hosting community events, like tea mornings for local seniors. It’s heartwarming to see service users light up when they feel part of something bigger. This approach not only boosts morale but also impresses inspectors.
According to Community Integrated Care, Care Quality Commission are proud to say that the majority of Supported Living services in England have ratings of either Good or higher.
Actionable Tip: Build relationships with local organisations. Invite community members to events or collaborate with health services to show your service’s broader impact.
3. Foster a Unified Culture to Elevate Your CQC Rating
When the Care Quality Commission (CQC) walks into your service, they aren’t just looking at paperwork or policies—they’re paying close attention to the culture that runs through your team. A strong, inclusive culture isn’t a “nice-to-have”; it’s one of the biggest factors that separates a service rated Good from one rated Outstanding.
As Ed pointed out, the difference is clear when you walk into a care setting. In weaker services, staff can feel disconnected, simply “turning up to do their job.” That lack of engagement shows. But in services with an outstanding culture, you can feel the difference. Staff are motivated, they know the values of the service, and most importantly—they believe in them.
And here’s the heart of it: culture starts with leadership. When leaders move away from a purely top-down approach and instead involve their teams, something shifts. Staff feel valued. They’re not just following instructions; they’re contributing to something bigger. That sense of unity not only improves morale and retention but also shines through in the quality of care provided—which inspectors will always notice.
So, how do you build this kind of culture? Start small but stay consistent. Hold regular team meetings where the vision of the service is shared openly. Create space for staff to give feedback and act on their ideas. Don’t underestimate the power of recognition either—celebrating even small wins can go a long way in making staff feel seen and appreciated.
The result? A team that’s more engaged, residents receiving better care, and ultimately, a CQC rating that reflects the true quality of your service.
4. Lead by Example to Drive CQC Rating Success
Exemplary leadership is a game-changer for your CQC rating. Outstanding providers need both managers (who maintains systems) and leaders (who innovate and inspire), but leadership shines through visibility.
In care homes, this means “walking the floor” daily, engaging with staff and service users. In domiciliary care, managers who perform care visits themselves, showing they “walk the walk.” deserve acknowledgement.
Imagine a manager who never leaves their office—it creates a disconnect. When I worked in care, the best leaders were those we saw in action, understanding our challenges. It motivated us to give our all.
I’m much certain that 90% of outstanding services had highly visible leaders who actively engaged with staff and service users
Actionable Tip: As a service provider or manager, schedule time to be present—whether it’s joining care visits or chatting with residents. Remove barriers like “open door policies” and be truly accessible.
5. Empower Staff to Own Quality for a Higher CQC Rating
Encouraging staff to take ownership is key to improving your CQC rating. Creating “champions” for areas like dementia or nutrition, giving staff specific responsibilities. This not only lightens managers’ loads but also makes staff feel valued.
During the webinar, it was agreed by the expert that it’s recommended practice to involve care staff in audits and management meetings to foster a sense of shared responsibility.
Ed described how a service improved its CQC rating by assigning a carer as a dementia champion. This staff member researched best practices and shared them, enhancing care quality and impressing inspectors.
If you’re looking to become a dementia champion, the Level 3 Certificate in Principles of Dementia Care is a good start. You will learn how to interact and care for people with dementia
Actionable Tip: Identify passionate staff, enrol them in the suitable qualification and assign them champion roles. Involve them in audits or meetings to boost engagement and quality.
6. Prioritise Training to Strengthen Your CQC Rating
Ongoing staff training is non-negotiable for a high CQC rating. Ed stressed that training must align with service users’ needs, example dementia care, autism care, or end of life care.
Without it, care quality suffers, and inspectors notice. On spotlight is the growing focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training, a key CQC priority.
Ed noted that a lack of dementia training can raise red flags during inspections. Conversely, providers who evidence tailored training impress the CQC. A training matrix—detailing who was trained, when, and on what—is essential.
If you’re looking to get your staffs CQC compliant with nationally recognised qualification, Access Skillls Qualification Training is your best option.
Actionable Tip: Create a training matrix and ensure all staff receive condition-specific and EDI training. Go beyond mandatory courses to show commitment to growth — explore specialist courses training.
Proving the impact of training is crucial for your CQC rating. Ed recommended analysing incidents like falls or safeguarding issues to show how training has reduced them. Surveys from service users, families, or professionals (e.g., GPs) also provide tangible evidence.
For example, a family member’s feedback that “Joe knew exactly how to support my mum” can link directly to training.
Ed also shared that he inspected a service that used surveys to show improved outcomes after epilepsy training, which helped secure a higher CQC rating. They also tracked reduced hospital admissions, tying it to staff development.
The importance of tailored staffs training can never be overemphasized. To track results of traainings, make use surveys and data analysis to document training outcomes. Share these with inspectors to demonstrate your commitment to quality.
Ed shared a compelling example of a service that moved from a “requires improvement” to a “good” CQC rating. They achieved this by fostering a collaborative culture, engaging staff, and implementing honest audits without blame.
Leaders set a clear vision, used SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound) action plans, and built strong systems. This created a “virtuous circle” where staff satisfaction, recruitment, and stakeholder relationships improved.
This story resonates with me. Turning around a struggling service feels like rebuilding a house—you need solid foundations. It’s hard work, but seeing happier staff and service users makes it worth it.
Ed offered a glimpse into the CQC’s future, noting that quality statements may halve to reduce duplication and become more service-specific. This could simplify inspections for domiciliary care or care homes, making ratings more achievable.
He also brought to light that the CQC is at a critical juncture, needing to streamline processes to maintain trust.
Ed Watkinson’s insights offer a clear path to an outstanding CQC rating: innovate, engage with your community, foster a unified culture, lead visibly, empower staff, prioritise training, and evidence its impact.
These strategies, grounded in real-world examples, can transform your service. As Ed said, “Believe in yourself and focus on what’s best for the people using your service.”
Start small—whether it’s a new community partnership or a training matrix—and watch your CQC rating soar.
Ready to make your service outstanding? Apply these tips today and register for the next webinar to get more actionable tips – Register Here!
