England · Domiciliary care · CQC · 2026
To run a home care agency in England you must register with the Care Quality Commission for the regulated activity personal care. There is no application fee, but since July 2025 CQC rejects incomplete or inaccurate homecare applications on arrival, and you go to the back of the queue.
Quick answer
To start a home care (domiciliary care) agency in England, you must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the regulated activity personal care. Providing it without registration is a criminal offence.
You apply by emailing CQC the application forms and around 14 supporting documents in one go, including a statement of purpose, eight core policies, a business plan with a 12-month forecast, a service user guide and a staff training plan. Since 1 July 2025, CQC rejects homecare applications that are not complete or accurate when received, and a resubmission goes to the back of the queue. There is no application fee; the annual fee starts at £239 per location.
Yes, if your staff provide personal care, such as help with washing, dressing, eating or toileting, to people in their own homes in England. Carrying on a regulated activity without registration is a criminal offence. CareRulebook’s check on this page covers the exceptions.
Health and Social Care Act 2008, s.10Since 1 July 2025 CQC rejects homecare applications that are not complete or accurate when they arrive, and a corrected resubmission joins the back of the queue. CareRulebook lists every document CQC asks for below.
CQC, How to applyThere is no separate application fee. CQC charges an annual fee per location, from £239 plus £54.305 per service user, which covers initial registration. CareRulebook shows the formula with its source below.
CQC feesPossibly. CQC excludes a private home only where it is not the primary place the service is managed from, and it does not accept virtual offices or PO boxes. CareRulebook covers the premises rules in the office section.
CQC, What is a locationInteractive check
Will your staff give physical help with eating or drinking, toileting, washing, dressing, oral care, or skin, hair and nail care?
This also counts if staff prompt and supervise someone who cannot decide to do these things without prompting.
Will you provide the care in England?
Will you only introduce carers to clients, with no ongoing role in how the care is provided?
An ongoing role includes arranging rotas, changing care plans, or requiring carers to wear your uniform or use your paperwork.
You need to register with CQC for personal care.
Carrying on a regulated activity without registration is an offence. The steps and documents below are what CQC asks for from a new homecare agency.
Health and Social Care Act 2008, s.10You may not need to register.
CQC says you do not need to register if you only provide housing or social support, or only medicines support, with no personal care tasks. If that changes, you will need to register first.
CQC scope of registration: personal careA different regulator applies.
CQC regulates activities carried on in England. Scotland (Care Inspectorate), Wales (Care Inspectorate Wales) and Northern Ireland (RQIA) have their own registration.
2014 Regulations, reg. 3(3)An introductory agency with no ongoing role may not need to register.
The exemption applies only if you have no ongoing role in directing or controlling the care. Arranging rotas or changing care plans counts as an ongoing role.
2014 Regulations, Sch. 1 para. 1(3)Tick steps off as you go. Your progress is saved in this browser only.
You need to register if you provide personal care to people where they live, in England. Housing or social support alone, or medicines support alone, does not need registration.
CQC scope guidanceDecide who is the provider, the registered manager and, for a company, the nominated individual. Companies and partnerships need a registered manager.
2009 Regulations, reg. 5Registered persons need a CQC-countersigned enhanced DBS. CQC rejects applications with DBS checks over 12 months old and does not accept the DBS Update Service.
CQC DBS guidanceA physical location in England that you can prove you legally occupy. No PO boxes or virtual offices.
CQC, What is a locationCQC says to apply only once DBS checks are done, premises are set up and staff are recruited.
CQC, How to applyEvery document tailored to your business, with the business name, the person responsible, created and review dates, and working legislation links.
CQC, What each document must includeThe new provider application form, the additional form for personal care providers, and registered manager forms where needed.
CQC, How to applyEmail the forms and all documents in one go to hsca_applications@cqc.org.uk. CQC cannot process an application that arrives in parts.
CQC, How to applyCQC checks completeness, then whether your documents are complete, accurate and relevant. If not, it rejects the application and you start again at the back of the queue.
CQC, After you applyCQC may interview you and your registered manager and visit your premises. Agree dates within 28 days of being contacted, or the application may be returned or refused.
CQC, Register as a providerCQC publishes the list, but the requirements for each document are spread across a dozen guidance pages. We mapped each one to what CQC says it must contain and the regulation behind it. Filter by topic or section.
16 rows
| Basis | What CQC asks for | Document in your pack |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Regs, reg. 12 and Sch. 3 | Statement of purpose Your aims, services, service user bands, contact details, legal status and locations. CQC returns applications without one. "The registered person must give the Commission a statement of purpose containing the information listed in Schedule 3." | 1.1 Statement of purpose |
| Reg 16; CQC guidance | Complaints policy Who complaints go to (named), each stage and how long it takes, and how complaints about the registered manager are handled fairly. "who complaints should be sent to (we need to know their name and contact details)" | 2.2 Complaints policy |
| Regs 9, 11, 13; MCA 2005 | Consent policy and procedure How you apply the Mental Capacity Act, assess capacity, and involve attorneys and deputies. "how you'll meet your responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 how you'll apply the five principles of the Mental Capacity Act" | 2.3 Consent policy and procedure |
| Equality Act 2010; HRA 1998 | Equality, diversity and human rights policy Reasonable adjustments, accessible technology, and how you address bullying and harassment. "how you will make reasonable adjustments so that people with a disability can access and use services on an equal basis to others" | 2.4 Equality, diversity and human rights policy |
| Reg 17 | Governance and quality assurance policies Audits, how you monitor and improve quality and safety, and an accurate organisational structure chart. "We also want to see an organisational structure chart that accurately reflects your business and roles." | 1.5 Governance and quality assurance policies |
| Reg 12; IPC code of practice | Infection prevention and control policy Including how you assess infection risks in people’s homes, and cleaning and waste in home settings. "how you assess infection risks in domestic environments" | 3.3 Infection prevention and control policy |
| Regs 12, 13; NICE NG67 | Medicines management policy The levels of medication support you offer, covert and PRN medication, and storage in people’s homes. "The different levels of medication assistance you offer" | 3.2 Medicines management policy |
| Reg 19 | Recruitment policy and procedures Every recruitment stage, employment history checks, and your approach to overseas workers. "how you check previous employment history, particularly if the applicant has worked in health or social care or with children or vulnerable adults" | 4.1 Recruitment policy and procedures |
| Reg 13; Care Act 2014 | Safeguarding policy and procedure A named safeguarding lead with out-of-hours contacts, a reporting flowchart, and your local authority safeguarding team. "The name and role of your safeguarding lead, including their contact details including emergency and out of hours contacts" | 3.1 Safeguarding policy and procedure |
| CQC guidance | Liability insurance Evidence of public liability insurance, and employer’s liability if you are legally required to hold it. Quotes must be valid. "You must always submit evidence of public liability insurance." | 1.4 Public and employer liability insurance |
| Regs 9, 10, 11, 17 | Service user guide What you do and do not offer, how you decide if you can meet needs, charges, call monitoring and complaints. "Your guide must clearly explain: what services you provide what services you do not or cannot offer how you decide if you can meet someone's needs." | 2.1 Service user guide |
| Reg 18; Care Certificate | Staff training plan Induction, mandatory and specialist training per role, named providers and refresher frequency. "what your induction process includes and what training new staff will receive." | 4.2 Staff training plan |
| CQC guidance | Business plan and financial forecast Local market research, pricing and staff pay, and a month-by-month 12-month forecast with itemised costs. "You must provide a 12-month financial forecast for your first year of business." | 1.2 Business plan and 12-month financial forecast |
| CQC guidance | Evidence of legal occupancy Title register, tenancy or licence agreement, plus written permission from your landlord or lender if you do not fully own the premises. "If you do not provide this evidence, we will not be able to approve your application." | 1.3 Evidence of legal occupancy |
| CQC guidance | Documents to keep readykeep ready; CQC may ask Do not send these, but CQC may ask for them: duty of candour, whistleblowing, risk management, reportable incidents, care planning, sample contract and care plan, staffing structure and rotas. "Do not send these documents with your application. Keep them ready in case we request them. If you cannot provide them when asked, your application may be delayed." | 5.1 Duty of candour policy5.2 Freedom to speak up and whistleblowing policy5.3 Risk management policy and list of risk assessments5.4 Reportable incidents policy5.5 Person-centred care planning policy5.6 Sample care contract and care plan5.7 Staffing structure and rotas |
| CQC guidance | Learning disability and autism servicesif you support autistic people or people with a learning disability A positive behaviour support policy, a restraint policy and an extra form. "You must also send us your: Positive behaviour support policy Restraint policy" | 6.1 Positive behaviour support policy6.2 Restraint policy |
Quotes are verbatim from CQC guidance or legislation.gov.uk. Rows marked "keep ready" are documents CQC says not to send but may ask for.
CareRulebook
Answer a few questions about your agency and CareRulebook builds every document on this list, tailored to your services and area, with the header details and legislation links CQC checks.
CQC checks the documents themselves, not just that they arrived. Its guidance says every document must include your business name, the name of the person responsible for the policy, the date it was created and the date it will be reviewed. Each must also:
On templates (full guide), CQC is blunt: "a template for residential care will not work for home care applicants." In its published examples, one applicant who had bought policies online but could not explain them was refused, and another who had adapted bought policies and could explain how they applied was approved.
Even though care happens in people's homes, CQC needs your main office: the place you manage the service and keep records. It must be in England, and CQC does not accept PO boxes or virtual offices.
A private home is not automatically ruled out. CQC's location guidance excludes a private home only "where that private home is not the primary place from where the service is managed". Whatever the premises, you must send evidence of legal occupancy: the title register if you own it, or a signed tenancy or licence agreement, plus written permission from your landlord or lender if you do not fully own it.
If the provider is a company or partnership, or an individual who will not run the service day to day, you need a registered manager, who applies alongside you. CQC gives the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care as an example qualification, and for homecare it expects experience with complaints, mental capacity assessments, safeguarding concerns and medication errors.
A company must also name a nominated individual: a director, manager or secretary who supervises the management of the service. Directors must meet the fit and proper persons requirement.
England homecare key facts
Checked against official sources on 30 September 2026.
There is no separate application fee. The annual fee for each community social care location is £239 plus £54.305 per service user, up to £92,558, under the 2019/20 fees scheme, which CQC says remains valid until further notice.
CQC does not publish a decision deadline. It says the assessment "can take a few months" and that applications are assessed in the order received.
Proposed · not yet in force
CQC consulted on draft sector-specific assessment frameworks that would replace the 34 quality statements with key lines of enquiry. The consultation closed on 12 June 2026 and pilots run from June to October 2026. CQC says to keep using the current guidance until it implements the new approach.
Your documents still map to the fundamental standards in the 2014 Regulations, which do not change. We will update the pack when CQC publishes the final framework.
NoA sponsor licence is not on any CQC required-document list. CQC asks your recruitment policy to explain your approach to overseas workers, and overseas recruitment of care workers closed on 22 July 2025.
"information about your approach to sponsoring overseas workers, including what checks you will perform"
NoNot for homecare since 1 July 2025. CQC rejects the application and emails you why. A corrected resubmission counts as a new application and loses its place in the queue.
"You can correct and resend it, but this will count as a new application and will not keep its place in the queue."
NoCQC says documents must be tailored to your business and suit your service type, and that a residential care template will not work for home care.
"a template for residential care will not work for home care applicants."
It dependsNot by itself. In CQC’s own examples, an applicant who bought policies but could not explain them was refused, and one who adapted them and could explain how they applied was approved.
"Mr Jones had reviewed and adapted these to the service and written others himself. He could tell us in detail how they applied to the running of the service."
NoNot necessarily. You need a physical location in England that you can prove you legally occupy, not a PO box or virtual office. A private home is excluded only where it is not the primary place the service is managed from.
"a private home, where that private home is not the primary place from where the service is managed"
NoNo separate fee. CQC charges an annual fee per location, which covers initial registration.
"Fees cover all the costs of: initial registration changes to your registration, and our activities associated with monitoring, inspection and rating."
NoHomecare agencies are exempt. You do need a business plan with a 12-month, month-by-month financial forecast.
"You also need to send us your financial viability statement, unless you are: a corporate provider an NHS trust a care home a home care (domiciliary care) agency a supported living service (SLS)"
NoMedicines support alone, without any personal care task, does not need registration.
"you do not need to register for the activity if you only provide support to administer, prompt or supervise medicines but do not intend to provide any of the activities defined as personal care."
NoCQC needs a CQC-countersigned enhanced DBS for registered persons, under 12 months old.
"We cannot accept certificates from the DBS update service or submissions from 3rd party services, such as U-check."
NoCQC says to apply only when DBS checks are done, premises are set up and staff are recruited.
"Only send us your application when everything is ready to start providing your services."
CQC says its assessment "can take a few months" and publishes no decision deadline. Applications are assessed in the order received, and a rejected application that is resubmitted goes to the back of the queue.
The statement of purpose; complaints, consent, equality and diversity, governance, infection prevention, medicines, recruitment and safeguarding policies; liability insurance evidence; a business plan and 12-month forecast; evidence of legal occupancy; a service user guide; and a staff training plan, plus the application forms.
CQC publishes statement of purpose templates. For policies, it says that if you use a third-party template it must suit your service type, and that a template for residential care will not work for home care.
CQC gives the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care as an example of a relevant qualification. For homecare it expects managers to have experience with complaints, mental capacity assessments, safeguarding concerns and medication errors.
No. A sponsor licence is not on CQC’s document lists. Your recruitment policy should explain your approach to overseas workers. Overseas entry clearance for care workers closed on 22 July 2025.
Not for your CQC application. CQC needs a CQC-countersigned enhanced DBS for registered persons and does not accept Update Service certificates or third-party submissions.
No. Homecare agencies are exempt, but must send a business plan with a month-by-month 12-month financial forecast.
The fundamental standards in Regulations 9 to 20A of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, plus laws such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Care Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2010, depending on the policy. CQC wants working links.
Not yet. CQC consulted on draft frameworks with key lines of enquiry and is piloting them from June to October 2026. It says to keep using the current published guidance until it implements the new approach.
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England
Can you use policy templates for CQC?
CQC’s refused and registered examples, and what it checks.
England
Do you need a sponsor licence?
No. What CQC asks about overseas workers instead.
United Kingdom
Registration in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Each UK nation has its own regulator and rules.
Trust
How we verify rules
Every quote is checked against the official text, dated, and linked.
United States
Starting a home care agency in Texas
The HCSSA license, fees and required policies.
Tracker
Rule-change tracker
Proposed and adopted changes to care agency rules.