HIW guides
Each guide answers one question a provider in Wales asks about HIW, from the official sources it cites. There are 4 guides across 4 topics, last checked on 15 October 2026.
Step-by-step guides to preparing for HIW, from registration to the improvement plan, each with templates you can copy and the sources behind it. Each guide ends with how wai does the work.
Updated .
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How the guides map to the HIW framework
The hub sets out the 3 headings HIW works to, and the guides take them one task at a time.
The 3 headings on the HIW hub
- Quality of the patient experience, 7 standards on the hub. HIW speaks to patients, relatives, representatives and advocates, so the patient's view sits at the centre of the inspection.
- Delivery of safe and effective care, 14 standards on the hub. HIW considers whether care is high quality, safe, reliable and centred on the person.
- Quality of management and leadership, 4 standards on the hub. HIW considers how the service is managed and led, whether the culture supports safe care, and how the service monitors its own performance.
The 4 topics the guides are filed under
- Registration, 1 guide and about 8 minutes of reading. HIW registration for an independent clinic.
- Inspection, 1 guide and about 8 minutes of reading. Preparing for an HIW inspection.
- After inspection, 1 guide and about 7 minutes of reading. HIW improvement plans and immediate concerns.
- Standards, 1 guide and about 8 minutes of reading. The National Minimum Standards in Wales.
Questions about the HIW guides
Which HIW guide should I read first?
Start with HIW registration for an independent clinic, the first guide on this page, about 8 minutes of reading, filed under Registration. The other 3 each stand on their own, so take them in the order your own preparation needs.
How do these guides relate to the HIW hub?
The HIW hub sets out the 3 headings HIW works to and how wai evidences each one. Each guide goes one level down, to a single task, with steps to follow, a template to copy, answers to common questions and the sources behind it.
How current are the HIW guides?
Every guide shows the date its facts were checked against the official sources it cites. All 4 were checked on 15 October 2026, the same date the hub shows beside its Updated line.
Are the HIW guides legal advice?
They are guidance, not legal advice, written from what HIW publishes, with a link to the source for each fact. HIW does not endorse wai or any software, and the judgement for your organisation is decided by HIW.
How do I request a demo for HIW?
Request a demo from this page and it reaches the wai team with HIW already named, so the call starts from HIW rather than a general tour. You can also write to team@wellnessa-i.com.
See how an independent clinic in Wales runs on one system
Fifteen minutes on video, with your own diary, notes and inbox.