England · CQC registration · Supporting documents
Yes, but only if you tailor them and can explain them. CQC's own published examples show two applicants who bought policies online: one was refused, one was registered. The difference was whether they had made the policies their own.
Quick answer
Yes, if you make them your own. CQC says "If you choose to use a third-party template, make sure it suits your service type. For example, a template for residential care will not work for home care applicants." Every document must also carry your business name, the person responsible, the created date and the review date, have working legislation links, and be "unique and tailored to your business".
Since 1 July 2025, homecare applications with documents that are incomplete, inaccurate or not relevant are rejected on arrival, and a resubmission goes to the back of the queue.
CQC publishes real applications with the names changed. Both of these providers bought policies online.
Refused
"Smith Care Limited had bought a set of policies and procedures online, but could not tell us about their content or how they applied to the agency."
CQC refused the application on several grounds, including money, the manager’s experience and knowledge of the policies.
Registered
"Jones Care Limited had bought some policies and procedures online. 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."
The policies were not the only reason, but being able to explain them was part of the case.
CQC adds a warning that applies to the whole team: "We will not register services where key people plan to get the training and experience they need after they are registered."
CQC’s guidance lists what every supporting document must have: "your business name the name of the person responsible for the policy the date it was created the date it will be reviewed". Every document must also:
CQC’s own guidance pages are not immune to link errors: we found two broken legislation links on them while mapping these requirements. Check every link in your documents before you send them.
Business name, the person responsible for the policy, the date created and the review date, on every document.
CQC, What each document must includeRemove anything written for care homes or other services. CQC says a residential care template will not work for home care.
CQC, What each document must includeFor example, your safeguarding lead with out-of-hours contacts, and your local authority safeguarding team in the area you serve.
CQC, Safeguarding policyEvery document needs up-to-date references to legislation or guidance, with working links.
CQC, What each document must includeYour statement of purpose, service user guide and policies must describe the same service.
CQC, What each document must includeIn CQC’s examples, the applicant who could explain how the policies applied was registered; the one who could not was refused.
CQC, Examples of applications
CareRulebook
CareRulebook builds your CQC documents from your answers about your agency, area and services, so there is nothing generic to strip out, and it checks every legislation link before you download.
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."
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."
Not because they were bought. CQC’s published examples include an applicant who bought policies online, adapted them, wrote others and could explain them, and was registered. The refused applicant had bought policies but could not say what was in them or how they applied.
Your business name, the name of the person responsible for the policy, the date it was created and the date it will be reviewed. It must also be relevant, contain no personal information about people using the service, have working legislation links, be consistent with your other policies and be tailored to your business.
CQC says no: "a template for residential care will not work for home care applicants."
For homecare applications since 1 July 2025, CQC rejects applications whose documents are incomplete, inaccurate or not relevant at the point of receipt. A corrected resubmission counts as a new application and loses its place in the queue.
CQC publishes statement of purpose templates. For policies, it says that if you use a third-party template, it must suit your service type.
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