What does Regulation 20A require on a care provider's website?
By TitanStudio, London. Last updated
A care provider that CQC has rated, and that has a website, must show its most recent rating there. The site must also give CQC's web address and say where on CQC's site the latest assessment can be found. This comes from Regulation 20A. It applies once a rating exists, and CQC regulates care in England.
Key facts
- Regulation 20A applies once CQC has given the provider a rating.
- A website maintained by or for a rated provider must show the most recent rating, CQC's web address and where the latest assessment can be accessed.
- Each rating must make clear which activities or premises it relates to.
- The display must be legible and conspicuous, and show the date the rating was given.
- CQC recommends its own widget, which updates itself when your rating changes.
- CQC regulates health and social care in England.
What does Regulation 20A say about a provider's website?
Regulation 20A of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 covers the display of performance assessments. Where a provider has received a rating from CQC, every website maintained by or for that provider must show three things: CQC's web address, where on CQC's site the latest assessment can be accessed, and the provider's most recent rating.
Each rating must make clear which activities or premises it relates to. The display must be legible and conspicuous, placed where people using the service can reach it, and it must show the date each rating was given.
Does a care provider have to show a rating before it has been inspected?
No. The rule applies once CQC has given the provider a rating. CQC's own guidance says that if a service has not yet been inspected, it will not have a rating to display.
A newly registered provider can therefore build everything else first: services, areas covered, careers and enquiries. The rating block can be ready for the day the first rating is published.
Which services does CQC rate?
CQC rates most registered services, including community-based adult social care such as homecare and supported living, and residential care homes. Its guidance lists these service types among those that must display ratings.
Some types of service are exempt from CQC's legal duty to give a rating, such as primary dental services and children's homes. CQC says all registered providers may use its 'Regulated by' graphics, which are useful where a service has no rating.
What is the CQC widget, and should a provider use it?
The widget is a small piece of code from CQC that you place on a webpage. CQC says it displays all the information the regulation requires, fetches your rating from CQC's system, links to the right page on CQC's site, and updates automatically if your rating changes.
CQC strongly recommends it and asks providers to read its terms and conditions first, and to place it above the fold so people do not have to scroll to see the rating. You find the widget code on your provider or location profile page on CQC's site, under 'ratings posters and widgets'.
What if a provider does not use the widget?
The widget is optional. CQC says that if you build your own display, your website must still include the items below. They can sit on different pages if you have separate pages for different premises.
- The name of the rated service.
- All provider and premises ratings.
- The date the inspection report was published.
- CQC's website address, www.cqc.org.uk.
- A link to your profile page on CQC's site, where your assessment and ratings are published.
What changes if a provider runs several locations or inherits a rating?
A provider may have a provider-level rating and separate ratings for each location. CQC asks providers to check all their organisation's pages for a widget link, because both may need to appear.
If you take over a location, CQC's site can show its earlier rating under the previous provider. You are not legally required to display that rating. If you choose to, you must make clear it was awarded to the previous provider.
What if a provider has asked CQC to review its rating?
The rating must still be displayed. CQC's guidance says a provider may add a note explaining that it has asked for a review, as long as the rating itself remains clear and conspicuous.
How should the rating be built into a care website?
Build it as one block that can be updated in one place, so a changed rating never means editing ten pages. Put it where a visitor sees it without hunting, keep it readable on a phone, and link to CQC's own page rather than summarising the report in your own words.
That is how TitanStudio builds it for CQC-registered care providers: your rating displayed the way CQC requires, using CQC's widget or the details CQC lists. Check CQC's current guidance and terms before you publish, because the rules and the widget can change.