CQC REGISTRATION & COMPLIANCE
CQC Statement of Purpose
Your Statement of Purpose tells CQC — and the public — who you are, what you do, and how you do it. Here's what must be included and how to get it right.
What is a Statement of Purpose?
A Statement of Purpose is a legal document required under Regulation 12 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. Every registered provider must have one, and it must be kept up to date.
It serves three purposes:
- For CQC: It tells them what you're registered to do and how you operate
- For the public: It helps people understand your service before choosing you
- For your team: It articulates your vision and how you expect care to be delivered
You must make your Statement of Purpose available to anyone who asks for it, and provide a copy to CQC when requested. It's often one of the first documents inspectors review before a site visit.
What Must Be Included
Schedule 3 of the CQC regulations specifies the information your Statement of Purpose must contain. Here's a breakdown:
Service provider details
- Legal name and registered address
- Contact information
- Legal status (company, partnership, individual)
- CQC registration number (if registered)
Aims and objectives
- Your service's purpose and philosophy
- What makes your approach distinctive
- Your commitment to quality care
- How you meet the needs of people who use your service
Services provided
- Types of care offered
- Regulated activities carried out
- Conditions or needs you specialise in
- Age range of people you support
Service delivery details
- Location(s) where care is provided
- Hours of operation
- Capacity (beds, clients, etc.)
- Staffing structure overview
Management structure
- Registered manager details
- Nominated individual details
- Key leadership roles
- Governance arrangements
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These issues regularly come up in CQC inspection reports.
Generic, copy-paste content
Make it specific to YOUR service, YOUR approach, YOUR people
Out of date information
Review and update whenever there are changes to services, management, or capacity
Missing required sections
Cross-check against Schedule 3 of the CQC regulations
No clear vision or values
Inspectors want to see what drives your service — not just what you do
Too long or too short
Aim for 4-8 pages. Enough detail to be useful, concise enough to be read
When to Update Your Statement of Purpose
Your Statement of Purpose must reflect your current service. Update it when:
- You change your registered manager
- You add or remove regulated activities
- Your capacity changes
- You change your service model or specialisms
- Your location or contact details change
- Annually, even if nothing has changed (best practice)
Remember to notify CQC of significant changes and send them your updated Statement of Purpose.
Need a Statement of Purpose?
Our CQC Registration Pack includes a professionally structured Statement of Purpose tailored to your service, plus 9 other registration documents. First document free.