{{org_field_logo}}

{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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CQC Ratings and Performance Assessments Display Policy

1. Purpose

At {{org_field_name}}, we are committed to ensuring that people receiving support, their representatives, visitors, staff and members of the public can easily identify the most recent Care Quality Commission rating applicable to our regulated services.

This policy sets out how {{org_field_name}} will comply with Regulation 20A of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, as amended, and the Care Quality Commission’s current guidance on displaying ratings. Regulation 20A applies where the organisation has received a rating from the Care Quality Commission following an assessment of its performance.

The legal responsibility rests with the registered service provider. Operational responsibility for checking, displaying and updating ratings may be delegated to the Registered Manager or another authorised person, but such delegation does not remove the service provider’s legal accountability.

This policy establishes arrangements for displaying ratings accurately, legibly, conspicuously and within the required timescale at each applicable registered location, at the organisation’s principal place of business where required, and on every website maintained by or on behalf of {{org_field_name}} that describes the regulated service. It also explains the specific arrangements applicable to supported living services, where people ordinarily receive care in accommodation that is their own home.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• the registered provider;
• the Nominated Individual, where applicable;
• the Registered Manager and other service managers;
• staff responsible for governance, quality assurance, compliance, communications, information technology or website management;
• employees or contractors responsible for maintaining websites, social media landing pages or digital service information on behalf of {{org_field_name}}; and
• all registered locations from which {{org_field_name}} manages or provides regulated activities.

For the purposes of this policy, a supported living property occupied by a person receiving support will not normally be treated as premises at which a ratings poster must be displayed where the property is that person’s own home and the accommodation is not provided as part of their care or treatment.

3. Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

• “CQC” means the Care Quality Commission.
• “Rating” means the most recent rating of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate given by CQC following an assessment of the provider, a regulated activity, a service or registered premises.
• “Registered location” means the location recorded as part of the provider’s CQC registration. For a supported living service, this will usually be the premises from which the care and support delivered to people in their own homes is organised or managed.
• “Principal place of business” means the provider’s main business address for the purposes of Regulation 20A.
• “Service user’s accommodation” means a person’s own home, including supported living accommodation occupied under a tenancy, licence or other housing arrangement, where the accommodation is not provided as part of the regulated care or treatment.
• “Website” includes every website maintained by or on behalf of {{org_field_name}} that describes the regulated service, including a website operated or maintained by a third-party contractor.
• “Conspicuous” means displayed in a position and format in which it is readily noticeable and is not hidden, obscured or made difficult to find.
• “Legible” means clear, readable and presented at an appropriate size and quality for the setting or device on which it is displayed.

4. Related Policies

• SL07 – Person-Centred Care Policy
• SL08 – Dignity and Respect Policy
• SL12 – Safe Care and Treatment Policy
• SL42 – Communication and Engagement with Service Users and Families Policy
• SL34 – Confidentiality and Data Protection (GDPR) Policy
• SL17 – Good Governance Policy

• Website and Digital Communications Policy
• Accessible Information and Communication Policy
• Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Policy
• Quality Assurance and Audit Policy
• Complaints and Compliments Policy
• CQC Registration and Notifications Policy
• Document Control and Records Management Policy

5. Legal and Regulatory Requirements

Regulation 20A applies where, and to the extent that, {{org_field_name}} has received a CQC rating following an assessment of its performance. Where the regulation applies, {{org_field_name}} must ensure that the most recent applicable rating is displayed as follows:

• Display at least one sign showing the most recent applicable rating at each registered premises from which {{org_field_name}} provides or manages regulated activities, subject to the exceptions in Regulation 20A(8).
• For a community-based supported living service, display the premises poster at the registered office or other registered location from which the service is organised or managed.
• Do not display a ratings poster in a person’s supported living accommodation solely because support is delivered there, where that accommodation is the person’s own home and is not provided as part of their care or treatment.
• Display the required rating information at the provider’s principal place of business where Regulation 20A(5) applies.
• Display the current rating on every website maintained by or on behalf of {{org_field_name}} that describes the regulated service, not only on the organisation’s main corporate website.

• Ensure that every physical and online ratings display is legible and conspicuous and is placed where it is accessible to people using the service or those acting on their behalf.
• Ensure that online ratings information is located on a permanent and frequently visited page, can be found through the main website navigation, and makes clear which service, activity or location the rating relates to.
• Ensure that the rating and all associated information are accurate and correspond with the most recent information published on the relevant CQC provider or location profile. CQC’s official poster and website widget should normally be used because these materials include the information required by Regulation 20A. Where the organisation creates its own display, it must contain all legally required information and be as clear and conspicuous as CQC’s materials.

• On every applicable website, show CQC’s website address and provide a direct link to the relevant CQC provider or location profile where the most recent performance assessment, rating and report can be accessed.
• A copy of the latest published CQC report must be made available to people receiving support or their representatives on request, in an accessible format where reasonably required.

• Every rating displayed must show the date on which the rating was given by CQC. Where CQC’s published material identifies this through the report publication date, the official CQC poster or widget should be used to avoid ambiguity.
• The rating must make clear the provider, activity, service or premises to which it relates.
• The organisation must continue to display a published rating while a request for review of the rating is being considered. A factual note may be displayed stating that a review has been requested, provided the note does not obscure or detract from the rating.
• A rating awarded to a previous provider must not be presented as the rating of {{org_field_name}}. Where inherited regulatory history is referred to, it must be clearly identified as relating to the previous provider or previous registration.

6. Procedure for Displaying CQC Ratings

6.1 Physical Display at Premises

• The most recent CQC premises poster must be displayed at each applicable registered location from which {{org_field_name}} provides or manages regulated activities.
• For supported living services, the poster will ordinarily be displayed at the registered office or other registered premises from which care and support are organised or managed. It must not be placed in a person’s own supported living accommodation merely because staff provide support there.
• The poster must be positioned where people using the service, their representatives, visitors and staff can readily see it when accessing the premises. This may be at the main entrance, reception area, waiting area or another prominent public-facing point, depending on the layout of the premises.
• At least one compliant poster must be displayed at each applicable premises. Additional copies must be displayed where necessary to ensure that the rating remains conspicuous and accessible, including where the premises have separate public entrances, reception areas or service areas.

• The poster must be clear, legible and conspicuous. CQC’s current poster should normally be printed in colour on A4 paper or larger and must not be reduced to a size that makes any required information difficult to read.
• The poster must not be covered, obscured, placed behind reflective material that prevents it from being read, or displayed among excessive notices in a manner that makes it difficult to identify.

• Where a person requires support to understand the rating or inspection findings, staff must provide an appropriate explanation and consider reasonable communication adjustments. These may include large print, Easy Read, an electronic copy compatible with assistive technology, verbal explanation, translation or another suitable format.
• The statutory ratings poster must remain displayed in its approved or compliant form. Any accessible explanation or alternative-format information is supplementary and must not replace or obscure the required display.

• Where premises are shared with another registered provider, {{org_field_name}} remains independently responsible for displaying its own applicable rating whenever it provides regulated activities from those premises.
• The displayed poster must identify the rated service or location clearly enough to prevent confusion with another provider or another service operating from the same building.
• Promotional graphics stating that a service is Outstanding or Good are optional and must not be used as a substitute for the required CQC ratings poster.

6.2 Online Display on the Organisation’s Website

• The current rating must be displayed on every website maintained by or on behalf of {{org_field_name}} that describes the regulated service.
• The rating must be displayed on the main homepage or on an appropriate service landing page that is permanent, frequently visited by the public and accessible through the website’s main navigation.
• Where the organisation operates separate webpages for different registered locations or services, the rating shown on each page must clearly relate to the location, regulated activity or service described on that page.
• A corporate homepage may contain a clear link to the relevant service ratings where several services or locations have different ratings, provided that the ratings remain easy to find and conspicuous.

• The online display must be conspicuous and must not be hidden in a document library, footer-only link, news article, archived page or webpage that cannot be found through the main website navigation.
• The display must function on desktop and mobile devices and must not depend on a temporary pop-up, rotating banner or other feature that may disappear before the user can read it.
• The online display must include:

• the name of the rated provider, service or location;
• the most recent applicable CQC rating;
• the date on which the rating was given or, where presented through CQC’s official material, the report publication date used by CQC;
• CQC’s website address;
• a direct link to the relevant provider or location profile on CQC’s website, where the most recent assessment, ratings and report can be accessed;
• all relevant provider, premises or activity ratings that Regulation 20A requires the organisation to display; and
• wording or presentation that makes it clear which regulated service, activity or premises each rating relates to.

• The website must be checked at least monthly, following any CQC assessment or publication, following a website update, and whenever CQC notifies the organisation of a change to its rating or profile.
• Checks must confirm that the rating is current, the correct service is identified, the date is accurate, the CQC link works, the display remains conspicuous on desktop and mobile devices, and no obsolete rating remains elsewhere on the website.
• Evidence of each check must be recorded in the CQC Ratings Display Audit Log.

CQC’s official website widget should normally be used because it helps ensure that the required information is displayed. Where the widget cannot be used, the organisation may use a CQC template or create its own display, provided that the display contains all required information, links to the relevant CQC profile and is as visible and clear as CQC’s own material. Use of CQC’s logo or brand material must comply with CQC’s current trademark and brand requirements.

6.3 Informing Individuals Receiving Support and Families

• At the commencement of the service, people receiving support and, where appropriate and lawfully involved, their representatives must be told how they can access the organisation’s current CQC rating and report.
• The term “admission” should not normally be used for supported living because the person is receiving support in their own home rather than being admitted to a residential establishment.
• A copy of, or electronic link to, the latest published CQC report must be made available on request. Where reasonably required, staff must support the person to access or understand the report through an appropriate communication format or explanation.

• Relevant staff must be able to explain what the four CQC rating levels mean, identify the rating applicable to the service and direct people to the current report. Staff must not speculate about an unpublished rating, misrepresent CQC’s findings or provide misleading assurances about the outcome of any future assessment.
• Where the service is rated Requires Improvement or Inadequate, the Registered Manager should make information available about the improvement actions being taken. Any improvement information displayed alongside the rating must be factual, current and must not obscure, contradict or detract from the CQC poster or online rating.

6.4 Internal Communication and Staff Awareness

• All staff must be informed about the latest CQC rating as part of team meetings and internal communications.
• Senior management and the Registered Manager must review the rating, report findings and associated evidence. Any required improvement actions must be incorporated into a documented improvement plan with named responsible persons, timescales, monitoring arrangements and evidence of completion.
• Induction for relevant staff must explain where the current rating is displayed, how people can access the inspection or assessment report, who must be informed if a poster or website display is missing or inaccurate, and why staff must not remove, obscure or alter the statutory display.
• Any employee who identifies a missing, damaged, illegible, obsolete or misleading ratings display must report it to the Registered Manager or designated compliance lead immediately.

7. Updating Ratings Following a CQC Assessment or Publication

When CQC publishes a new or revised rating on its website, the Registered Manager or designated compliance lead must verify the rating against the relevant CQC provider or location profile and begin the controlled update process.

The update process must include:

• downloading the current official CQC poster or confirming the current approved display;
• checking whether a provider-level, premises-level, service-level or activity-level rating applies;
• replacing posters at every applicable registered premises;
• updating every applicable website, service page and landing page;
• checking that all links direct users to the correct CQC profile;
• removing or correcting obsolete ratings from brochures, electronic information packs and other active public-facing materials where they could mislead people;
• informing staff of the new rating and where the report can be found;
• checking whether improvement information displayed next to the previous rating requires revision; and
• recording the date, location, website address and person responsible for each update.

7.1 Rating Review or Factual Accuracy Challenge

Where {{org_field_name}} submits a request for review of a rating or challenges the factual accuracy of a report:

• the published CQC rating must continue to be displayed;
• the rating must not be withheld, removed, reduced in prominence or replaced by the organisation’s preferred rating;
• a brief factual statement may be displayed explaining that a review has been requested, provided that it does not obscure or detract from the published rating; and
• any subsequently amended rating or report must be updated in accordance with the 21-calendar-day requirement.

7.2 Newly Registered or Not Yet Rated Services

Where the service has not received a CQC rating, it must not display an invented, anticipated, inherited or unofficial rating. The organisation may use CQC-approved “Regulated by CQC” materials where appropriate, but these must not suggest that CQC has awarded a quality rating.

8. Compliance Monitoring

The registered provider has legal accountability for compliance with Regulation 20A. The Registered Manager is responsible for day-to-day implementation at the registered location and must ensure that physical and online ratings displays are accurate, current, legible and conspicuous. Where website maintenance is delegated to an employee, contractor or external agency, the Registered Manager must retain oversight and obtain evidence that required updates have been completed.

A documented ratings-display audit must be completed:

• at least monthly;
• within 24 hours of the organisation becoming aware that CQC has published a new or revised rating;
• after any office move, change of registered location or alteration to public access arrangements;
• after any website redesign, migration or material content change;
• after a change of website contractor; and
• following any complaint, concern or incident involving an inaccurate or missing display.

The audit must check:

• the provider and service names;
• the current rating;
• the date shown;
• the registered premises to which the rating relates;
• the visibility, condition and size of each poster;
• the presence of the rating at the principal place of business where applicable;
• all websites maintained by or on behalf of the provider;
• the operation and accuracy of CQC links and widgets;
• the presentation on desktop and mobile devices;
• whether a superseded rating is displayed elsewhere; and
• whether any additional improvement statement remains accurate and does not detract from the rating.

Feedback from people receiving support, representatives and staff should be considered as part of the accessibility review. Any report that the rating is difficult to locate, read or understand must be investigated and, where appropriate, acted upon. Evidence of audits, remedial actions and completed website or poster updates must be retained in accordance with the organisation’s records management arrangements.

9. Addressing Non-Compliance

• A missing, inaccurate, obsolete, illegible or inconspicuous rating display is a regulatory compliance concern and must be reported immediately to the Registered Manager and, where applicable, the Nominated Individual or senior compliance lead.
• The Registered Manager must assess the extent of the non-compliance, identify every affected premises and website, take immediate corrective action, record the cause and implement measures to prevent recurrence.
• Where the correct rating is known and can be verified against CQC’s website, the display must be corrected without delay rather than waiting for the next scheduled audit.

• A complaint or concern about a missing or incorrect display must be acknowledged and managed under the organisation’s complaints procedure. The display itself must be checked immediately and, where the concern is substantiated, corrected as soon as reasonably practicable.
• An internal target of 48 hours may be used for completing the investigation and notifying the complainant of the outcome, but this must not delay immediate correction of an inaccurate or missing rating.

CQC may take enforcement action where the rating is absent, inaccurate, unclear or inconspicuous. A breach of Regulation 20A may be prosecuted without CQC first serving a warning notice, and CQC may take other regulatory action depending on the circumstances.

Following any material breach, the Registered Manager must complete a root-cause review and consider whether the incident demonstrates a wider governance failure, such as inadequate oversight of website contractors, absence of an update alert, poor document control or ineffective auditing.

10. Confidentiality and Data Protection

• CQC ratings and published inspection or assessment reports are public information and may be shared with people receiving support, representatives, staff and members of the public.
• Before displaying additional commentary, correspondence or internal improvement material, staff must check that it does not disclose personal data, confidential information or information that may identify a person receiving support or a member of staff without a lawful basis.
• Any internal records created to demonstrate compliance, such as audit logs, emails and screenshots, must be managed in accordance with the organisation’s data protection and records management policies.

11. Roles and Responsibilities

Registered Provider

The registered provider is legally accountable for ensuring that Regulation 20A is met across all applicable premises and websites maintained by or on behalf of the organisation.

Nominated Individual

Where applicable, the Nominated Individual must maintain strategic oversight, ensure that sufficient resources are available and seek assurance that the organisation’s ratings displays are accurate and current.

Registered Manager

The Registered Manager must:

• verify the applicable rating against CQC’s website;
• ensure that posters are displayed at all required premises;
• ensure that posters are not inappropriately placed in people’s own supported living accommodation;
• notify the person responsible for the website of a new or amended rating;
• confirm that online updates have been completed;
• maintain the audit log and supporting evidence;
• ensure staff understand the current rating; and
• escalate any material non-compliance.

Website or Communications Lead

The person responsible for website or communications management must:

• maintain the rating on every applicable website and service page;
• ensure that CQC links and widgets remain operational;
• test the display on desktop and mobile devices;
• remove superseded or misleading ratings; and
• provide confirmation and evidence of each update to the Registered Manager.

All Staff

All staff must report missing, damaged, inaccurate or obscured ratings displays and must not remove, cover, amend or relocate a CQC poster without authorisation.

12. Supported Living-Specific Arrangements

Supported living accommodation is ordinarily the person’s own home. {{org_field_name}} will respect the person’s privacy, tenancy rights and control over their home. A CQC ratings poster will not be placed in a person’s supported living accommodation merely because staff provide regulated personal care there.

The applicable rating will instead be displayed at the registered premises from which the supported living service is organised or managed and on every website maintained by or on behalf of {{org_field_name}} that describes that service.

Where there is uncertainty about whether a particular property constitutes the provider’s registered premises or a person’s own accommodation, the Registered Manager must check:

• the provider’s CQC certificate of registration;
• the registered location recorded on CQC’s website;
• the tenancy, licence, accommodation and care arrangements;
• whether accommodation is provided as part of the person’s care or treatment; and
• current CQC registration and ratings-display guidance.

The Registered Manager must seek appropriate regulatory or legal advice where the status of the premises remains unclear.

13. Change of Provider, Location or Regulatory History

Where {{org_field_name}} takes over a service previously operated by another provider, moves a service to a new address or undergoes a change affecting its CQC registration, the Registered Manager must verify which rating, if any, the organisation is legally required to display.

A rating awarded to a former provider must not be displayed or promoted as though it had been awarded to {{org_field_name}}. If previous regulatory history is referred to, it must be clearly and prominently described as relating to the former provider or previous registration.

Where the new service has not yet received its own rating, the organisation must not use the previous provider’s rating as a substitute.

14. Records and Evidence of Compliance

The Registered Manager must retain sufficient evidence to demonstrate compliance with this policy. Evidence should include:

• a copy or photograph of each physical ratings display;
• the address and precise display position of each poster;
• dated screenshots of each applicable website and service page;
• records confirming that links and widgets were tested;
• the date on which CQC published the rating;
• the date on which each physical and online display was updated;
• the name of the person who completed and verified the update;
• monthly audit records;
• records of identified defects and corrective actions; and
• any correspondence concerning a rating review or amendment.

Records must be retained in accordance with the organisation’s document retention schedule and made available to CQC on request.

15. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and earlier where necessary. An earlier review must take place following:

• a change to Regulation 20A or other relevant legislation;
• a material change to CQC’s ratings-display, assessment or enforcement guidance;
• publication of a new or revised CQC rating for the organisation;
• a change to the provider’s CQC registration, registered locations or principal place of business;
• a change to the organisation’s website, website provider or digital communications arrangements;
• a substantiated complaint or identified breach concerning a ratings display;
• an enforcement action, warning, fixed penalty or other regulatory concern; or
• audit findings showing that the policy is not being implemented effectively.

The person completing the review must record the legislation and CQC guidance checked, the changes made, the approval date and the next review date.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.