The Care CompassReading a CQC Rating
Every care home in England has a CQC rating, and most families use it as a first filter. Here's how to actually read one properly, beyond the single headline word.
The four ratings
- Outstanding — performing exceptionally well. Around 3-5% of care homes.
- Good — performing well and meeting expected standards. The large majority of homes, roughly three-quarters, fall here.
- Requires Improvement — not performing as well as it should in at least one area, with a formal plan to improve. Around 12-18% of homes.
- Inadequate — serious concerns, with CQC taking action against the provider. A small minority, around 1-4% of homes.
A newer scoring system also shows a percentage: roughly 88-100% for Outstanding, 63-87% for Good, 39-62% for Requires Improvement, and 38% or below for Inadequate.
The five things actually being assessed
The headline rating is built from five separate questions, each with its own score: is the home Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led. The overall rating is generally pulled down by whichever of these scores lowest, so two homes both rated "Good" overall can still look quite different once you look at the five sub-scores.
Why "Requires Improvement" isn't automatically a red flag
It's easy to rule a home out the moment you see anything other than "Good" or "Outstanding," but that headline alone doesn't tell the full story. A Requires Improvement rating caused by out-of-date paperwork is a genuinely different situation from one caused by a safeguarding concern, and the only way to tell the difference is to actually read the report, not just the top-line word.
How to actually use a rating when choosing a home
- Use the rating to build an initial shortlist, generally Good or Outstanding homes
- Read the full report for your shortlisted homes, specifically the five sub-question scores, not just the headline
- Check the inspection date, reports over 18-24 months old may not reflect current staffing or management, which can change significantly
- Visit in person, at different times of day if possible, no rating can tell you how a place actually feels
- Ask directly about what's changed since the last inspection, particularly for any area that scored lower
For the wider picture on choosing a home, see our full Choosing a Care Home guide →
A word from The Care Compass
A rating is a genuinely useful starting filter, not a final answer. The homes worth taking seriously are the ones that welcome the scrutiny, not just the ones with the best headline score.
This article is for general guidance only. Always check the current, official rating and report directly on the CQC website before making a decision.
Common Questions
What are the four CQC ratings?
Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate. Around three-quarters of care homes in England are rated Good, with only around 3-5% achieving Outstanding.
Does Requires Improvement mean a care home is unsafe?
Not necessarily. It means the home isn't performing as well as it should in at least one area and has been told to improve, but it doesn't automatically mean serious or unsafe care. It's worth reading the full report to understand what specifically needs improving, rather than ruling a home out on the headline rating alone.
What are the five things CQC actually checks?
Whether a service is Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led. Each gets its own rating within the full report, and the overall headline rating is generally pulled down by the lowest-scoring area.
How old can a CQC report be and still be trustworthy?
There's no fixed rule, but reports older than 18-24 months may not reflect current standards, staff, or management, which can change significantly. It's worth checking the inspection date and, where possible, asking the home directly what's changed since.
If you’ve raised a concern and feel like it’s going nowhere: Read our guide on escalating a care home complaint →
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