The CQC Statement of Purpose: What to Write and What Inspectors Look For
The CQC Statement of Purpose: What to Write and What Inspectors Look For
A CQC statement of purpose is a legal requirement under the historical Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. It must describe your organisation's aims and objectives, the regulated activities you provide, the locations where services are delivered, and the details of your registered manager and provider.
The statement is not marketing copy. It is a compliance document that must align precisely with your CQC application form, your policies, and the physical reality of the service you operate. Inconsistencies between your statement of purpose and your application are one of the most common reasons CQC delays registration, and inspectors use the document as their reference baseline when they arrive on site.
What must be in the statement
The statement of purpose must include the legal name and registered office of the provider, the address and telephone number of each location where regulated activities are carried out, the name and address of the registered manager for each location, and a clear description of the regulated activities at each location. It must state the aims and objectives of the service, the categories of service user for whom the service is provided, and the maximum number of service users you can accommodate or care for at any one time.
You must also describe the organisational structure, including the reporting line between the registered manager and the provider entity. If your service delivers personal care, you must state the age range of service users. If you provide accommodation, you must state the number of rooms and whether they are single or shared. If you provide nursing care, you must name the registered nurses employed and confirm their professional registration status.
The statement must be dated, signed by the registered provider, and reviewed at least annually. Any material change to the service requires an updated statement, submitted to CQC within 28 days.
How to structure the document
A typical statement of purpose runs to eight or ten pages. Write in plain English and use numbered headings that correspond to the CQC's required categories. Start with the provider's legal details, then describe each location in turn. For each location, state the regulated activities, the category of care, the maximum number of service users, and the physical facilities available.
A worked example for a small domiciliary care provider might begin: "ABC Care Limited, registered office at 14 Station Road, Brighton BN1 4DE, provides personal care to adults aged 18 and over in their own homes across Brighton and Hove. The service is registered to provide personal care only. We do not provide nursing care, treatment of disease, disorder or injury, or accommodation. Our operational office is located at the registered address above. We employ 12 care staff and one registered manager. At the time of this statement, we provide care to 24 service users, with a maximum capacity of 40 based on current staffing levels and geographical area."
Continue with aims and objectives, written as factual commitments rather than aspirations. "Our aim is to enable service users to live independently in their own homes by providing person-centred care that respects dignity, privacy, and individual choice. We support service users with personal hygiene, meal preparation, medication prompting, and mobility assistance. All care is delivered in accordance with individual care plans agreed with the service user and, where appropriate, their family or advocate."
Describe your organisational structure, including who the registered manager reports to and how the provider entity oversees the service. Name your registered manager by full name and give their professional qualifications if relevant. If you employ nurses, list them by name and NMC registration number.
State your complaints procedure, your safeguarding policy reference, and your equality and diversity commitment. Attach or reference your service user guide, which must be consistent with the statement.
Why applications are delayed
CQC delays applications when the statement of purpose does not match the application form. If you state a maximum capacity of 30 service users in the statement but write 40 in the form, the application will be queried. If you describe personal care and treatment of disease in the statement but only tick personal care on the form, you will be asked to resubmit.
Inspectors also delay applications when the statement is vague about aims or organisational structure. Phrases such as "high-quality care" or "person-centred approach" are acceptable if followed by specific detail, but they cannot stand alone. If you write that the registered manager reports to "senior management," name the individual or position. If you write that you provide care to "vulnerable adults," specify the category: learning disabilities, physical disabilities, dementia, mental health, substance misuse, or older people.
Another common delay is when the statement describes services not yet in operation. If you plan to provide nursing care in future but have not yet recruited nurses, do not include nursing in the statement. Register for what you can evidence today, then vary your registration later.
Policies must match the statement. If your safeguarding policy refers to children but your statement says you care only for adults, CQC will query it. If your medication policy describes administration but your statement says you provide prompting only, the application will stall.
Keeping the statement current
You must update your statement of purpose within 28 days of any material change to the service. Material changes include a change of registered manager, a change of location address, an increase in maximum capacity, the addition or removal of a regulated activity, or a change to the categories of service user you accept.
If you move to larger premises and increase capacity from 20 to 35 service users, you must notify CQC, submit an updated statement, and pay the variation fee before you accept the additional service users. Operating beyond your stated capacity is a breach of your registration conditions.
If your registered manager leaves and you appoint a replacement, you must apply to vary the registration, submit an updated statement naming the new manager, and ensure the new manager completes a fit person interview before they take up the role.
Annual reviews are a legal requirement even if nothing has changed. Date the statement, confirm that it remains accurate, and keep it on file. Inspectors will ask to see the current statement and evidence of the last review.
How inspectors use the statement
Inspectors read your statement of purpose before they arrive. They use it to plan the inspection, decide which staff to interview, and identify what evidence to request. If your statement says you care for people with dementia, they will ask about dementia training and observe dementia-specific interactions. If your statement says you employ two registered nurses, they will check NMC registration and ask about clinical supervision.
During the inspection, they compare what they observe to what you have written. If your statement says the registered manager is on site five days a week but staff say they rarely see them, the inspector will note a discrepancy. If your statement says you provide personal care only but a service user tells the inspector you help them with medication, the inspector will investigate whether you are operating outside your registration.
Inconsistencies between the statement and observed practice contribute to compliance ratings. If the discrepancy is significant, it may indicate poor governance and affect your rating under the Well-Led key question. If you are operating outside your registration, CQC may take enforcement action.
Other compliance contexts
Providers registered with CQC and bidding for NHS contracts must ensure their statement of purpose aligns with the service specification in the tender. When responding to NHS framework opportunities such as those on RM6291 NHS P23, the regulated activities and capacity stated in your CQC registration must cover the volume and type of care described in your bid. If you win a call-off contract that requires you to increase capacity, you must vary your CQC registration before you begin delivery.
The Provider Selection Regime requires contracting authorities to consider CQC ratings when awarding NHS clinical services. A statement of purpose that does not reflect current operations risks a ratings drop, which in turn affects your ability to win contracts. Inspectors increasingly cross-reference tender awards with registered capacity, particularly when a provider scales rapidly after winning a large contract.
If your organisation provides NHS tender writing support or care consultancy as well as direct care services, be clear in your statement which activities are regulated and which are not. Only the direct provision of personal care, nursing, or treatment requires CQC registration. Advisory or administrative services do not.
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit a draft statement of purpose before I appoint a registered manager?
No. You must have a named registered manager in place, or at least formally appointed and going through the fit person process, before CQC will accept your application. The statement must name the individual. You cannot use placeholder text such as "to be confirmed" or "recruitment in progress." If you are applying to be both provider and manager, you must state this clearly and complete both the provider and manager fit person interviews.
How often do I need to update the statement if my staffing numbers change frequently?
You must update the statement when there is a material change, which includes a change of registered manager but not routine fluctuations in care staff numbers. If you state that you employ 12 care workers and that number drops to 10 or rises to 15, you do not need to submit a variation unless the change affects your ability to meet your stated maximum capacity. However, if staffing falls so low that you can no longer safely care for your stated maximum, you must reduce your registered capacity and update the statement accordingly.
Do I need a separate statement of purpose for each location?
No, but you must include a separate section for each location within a single statement. If you operate three residential homes under one provider entity with three different registered managers, the statement must describe each location separately, naming the manager, the address, the regulated activities, and the capacity at that site. The overall aims and provider details can be stated once at the beginning of the document, but the operational detail must be location-specific. CQC expects to see a clear structure that allows an inspector to find the relevant information for the site they are visiting without reading through details of your other locations.
Call 020 3668 5488
Glaxtons, 3 More London Place, London SE1 2RE