Organise CQC evidence by the 5 key questions, the 34 quality statements under them and the 6 evidence categories CQC uses to judge each statement. Keep each item in the system where the work happens, and record where it lives and who owns it, so you can produce it within minutes when CQC asks.
The structure CQC assesses against
CQC's assessment framework has 5 key questions, safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, and a set of quality statements under each, 34 in all. The quality statements are written as “we statements” and replaced the old key lines of enquiry, prompts and rating characteristics.1 CQC groups the evidence it weighs into 6 categories, people's experience, feedback from staff and leaders, feedback from partners, observation, processes and outcomes.2
CQC does not use every evidence category for every quality statement. It publishes which categories it usually looks at for each statement, by sector. For independent doctors and clinics, for example, the Learning culture statement under Safe draws on people's experience, feedback from staff and leaders, and processes.3 Use the list for your sector to decide what to gather for each statement.
How to build a CQC evidence map
An evidence map lists, for each quality statement, the system or record where the evidence lives and the person who owns it. It points to the live record rather than to copies, which go out of date and do not answer an inspector's follow-up questions. CQC says it uses the information a provider already has, does not ask for a set format, and for now does not need evidence sent in advance.4 So the map is for you. It says where each answer lives and who owns it.
- List the quality statements for your sector. Take the 34 statements and mark the ones CQC prioritises for your service type, from its evidence categories page for your sector.
- Name the categories for each. Against each statement, write the evidence categories CQC uses for it. Ignore the rest.
- Point to the source, not a copy. For each category, name the system or record where the evidence lives today, the patient record, the inbox, the rota, the incident log, the minutes.
- Give every row an owner. One named person per key question who can produce and explain the evidence on the day.
- Test retrieval time. Pick five rows at random each month and time how long it takes to produce them. Anything over ten minutes is a gap.
- Record what changed. Add one line per statement on what improved this year. CQC looks for learning and improvement, not a static file.
- Key question ______ Quality statement ______
- Evidence categories CQC uses for it ______
- Where the evidence lives ______
- Owner, name and role ______
- Last produced on ______ in ______ minutes
- What improved this year ______
What good evidence looks like in each category
| Category | Strong evidence | Weak evidence |
|---|---|---|
| People's experience | Patient feedback with dates, themes and what changed | A testimonial wall |
| Feedback from staff and leaders | Staff who can explain how they raise a concern, and minutes that show it happened | A policy nobody has read |
| Feedback from partners | Referrers and commissioners who know your pathway | A list of partner logos |
| Observation | A calm, clean, organised environment on the day | A tidy-up the morning of the visit |
| Processes | Audits, incident learning, access times and clinical record reviews | Process documents with no results |
| Outcomes | A measure you track over time, with the trend | A single good month |
Keep it current between inspections
CQC no longer assesses only at a single point in time. It can look at different quality statements at different times and update scores as evidence arrives, and any information it receives can trigger an assessment.56 Review the map monthly as part of governance, so it is current whenever CQC asks.
CQC has also consulted on replacing quality statements with key lines of enquiry in sector-specific frameworks, piloted from June to October 2026.7 The 5 key questions carry through, so map to them first and to the statements second. If the method changes, your map moves with it.
Questions
How many quality statements are there?
34 under the single assessment framework. 8 under safe, 6 under effective, 5 under caring, 7 under responsive and 8 under well-led.
Do I need to send CQC evidence before an assessment?
Not for now. CQC says it will ask for anything it needs, usually by email, and will use the information you already have in whatever format you hold it.
Should I organise evidence by quality statement or by key question?
Both, with the key question first. The key questions survive every version of CQC's method. The statements under them may change.
Sources
- 1CQC, 2025Assessment framework, key questions and quality statementsRead source
- 2CQC, 2024Evidence categoriesRead source
- 3CQC, 2024Independent doctors, evidence categories for SafeRead source
- 4CQC, 2025How we gather evidenceRead source
- 5CQC, 2025Differences from our previous modelRead source
- 6CQC, 2025How often we assessRead source
- 7CQC, 2026Our initial response to our public consultation, Better regulation, better careRead source
Written by the wai team from Care Quality Commission guidance, checked on 15 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. CQC does not endorse wai or any software.