The CQC five key questions are the foundation of every inspection in the UK social care sector. They are designed to ensure that services are safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. Care workers are often at the frontline of service delivery, making it essential to understand how these questions affect daily practice.
Inspectors use these questions to assess not just paperwork, but real-world actions and staff behaviours. For care workers, this means consistently demonstrating competence, compassion, and adherence to standards.
By focusing on the CQC five key questions, you can:
- Improve inspection readiness
- Strengthen your professional skills
- Deliver high-quality, person-centred care
- Build confidence in daily tasks
These questions are interconnected excelling in one area often support others. In my experience, understanding them also helps care workers recognise how their daily work contributes to the broader quality of service.
Overview of the CQC Five Key Questions
Understanding the 5 CQC questions care workers must answer can make a major difference during inspections, interviews, and everyday practice. Many care workers feel anxious when inspectors ask questions, unsure what to say or how much detail to give. The Care Quality Commission asks these questions, what inspectors are really listening for, and how care workers can respond confidently using real examples from daily work.
However, the 5 CQC questions care workers must answer are not designed to intimidate or test memory. They are structured to understand how care is delivered in practice, not just how policies are written. Inspectors want to hear directly from care workers because you are the people delivering care every day.
Below are the CQC five key Questions to note:
1. Safe: Ensuring individuals Are Protected from Harm
Safety is the first and arguably the most critical domain in CQC inspections. Inspectors evaluate whether care workers consistently protect service users from abuse, avoidable harm, and errors.
Pro Tips to Ensure Safety
- Safeguarding training: Regular refresher courses help identify signs of abuse or neglect. Access Skills offers comprehensive refresher training tailored for care workers.
- Risk assessments: Conducting and documenting risk assessments for every service user ensures hazards are minimised.
- Medication management: Proper storage, administration, and monitoring prevent harm.
- Incident reporting: Recording and learning from mistakes improves safety culture.
A domiciliary care team in Manchester implemented a daily safety checklist alongside refresher training. Within six months, incidents decreased by 35%, and staff reported feeling more confident in handling complex situations.
Inspectors want to see practical examples of safety measures in action. It’s not enough to know the theory; daily care decisions must reflect CQC standards.
2. Effective: Delivering Care that Meets CQC Standards
Effectiveness is about achieving good outcomes for service users. Care must be evidence-based, personalised, and measurable.
How Care Workers Demonstrate Effectiveness
- Care plans: Follow and update care plans to meet individual needs.
- Consent and communication: Engage service users in decisions about their care.
- Monitoring outcomes: Track progress and adjust support where necessary.
A care home in Bristol used Access Skills’ accredited health and social care courses to train staff on person-centred care planning. Post-training, inspectors noted improvements in resident engagement and care outcomes.
Care workers can also demonstrate effectiveness by cooperating with colleagues, attending CPD sessions, and implementing improvements from feedback. This ensures measurable results align with CQC expectations.
3. Caring: Person-Centred Support That Demonstrates Compassion and Respect
Caring focuses on how staff interact with and support service users. Inspectors assess whether care is delivered with dignity, respect, and empathy.
Ways to Show Caring in Daily Practice
- Active listening: Understanding individual preferences and concerns.
- Promoting dignity: Ensuring privacy and respect in all care tasks.
- Emotional support: Recognising the emotional needs of service users.
For example, CQC’s State of Care 2023–24 report shows that around 78% of adult social care services were rated ‘Good’ overall, with caring frequently noted as a strength in inspection reports, reflecting compassionate and dignified practice.
This proof shows that Caring involves adjusting routines to accommodate service user choices or communicating clearly about treatment options. Inspectors look for evidence of empathy and personalised attention, not just task completion.
4. Responsive: Meeting the Needs of Different Individuals
Responsiveness evaluates whether services adapt to individual needs and react to changes effectively.
Pro Tip for Care Workers
- Observation: Notice changes in health, mood, or behaviour.
- Flexibility: Adjust support plans as service needs evolve.
- Problem-solving: Address issues proactively rather than waiting for guidance.
5. Well-Led: Effective Leadership in practice
Well-led care ensures that leadership, governance, and culture support safe, effective, and person-centred care. While this may seem more managerial, care workers play a role in demonstrating a positive, compliant culture.
How Care Workers Contribute
- Following policies: Demonstrates a culture of compliance and accountability.
- Mentorship and peer support: Sharing knowledge with colleagues fosters a learning environment.
- Reporting issues: Open communication supports improvement.
A domiciliary care agency in London introduced mentorship programs and leadership workshops via Access Skills webinars. Staff reported higher confidence and inspectors observed strong leadership embedded throughout operations.
Care workers showing initiative and professionalism contribute to a well-led service and positively influence inspection outcomes.
Other Important CQC Inspection Questions
1. How Do You Keep the People You Support Safe?
There are several other important CQC questions care workers must answer. Safety sits at the heart of quality care, and inspectors want to know how you actively protect people from harm.
When inspectors ask this question, they are checking whether you understand safeguarding, risk awareness, and your responsibility to act. They are not expecting complex language. They want practical explanations of what you do during your shift.
A strong answer might include how you follow care plans, report concerns, use equipment safely, or notice changes in behaviour. Explaining how you would respond if something felt wrong shows awareness and confidence.
Care workers often struggle when they give very short answers, such as “I follow the rules.” Instead, describing real actions shows understanding and professionalism. Here are a few to consider:
2. How Do You Support People With Dignity and Respect?
Dignity and respect are central to person-centred care. This question allows care workers to demonstrate compassion, communication skills, and awareness of individual needs.
Inspectors are listening to how you involve people in decisions, respect privacy, and treat individuals as unique. Talking about everyday actions such as knocking before entering a room, explaining tasks, or respecting personal routines helps bring your answer to life.
This is one of the 5 CQC questions care workers must answer, where examples matter more than theory. Explaining how you adapt care to suit each person shows that dignity is not just a value but part of your daily practice.
3. What Would You Do If You Had a Safeguarding Concern?
Safeguarding questions test both knowledge and confidence. Inspectors want reassurance that care workers will act quickly and correctly if someone is at risk.
A clear answer explains the steps you would take, such as reporting concerns to a senior, documenting observations, and following safeguarding procedures. You do not need to name every policy, but you should show awareness of the process.
Care workers who understand this question often feel more confident in their role. Many build this confidence through regular refresher learning and practical guidance supported by recognised organisations such as Access Skills, which provides accredited health and social care training across the UK. Inspectors want to hear that safeguarding is taken seriously and acted on consistently.
4. How Do You Manage Infection Prevention and Control in Your Role?
Infection prevention is a key part of keeping people safe, especially in care environments where individuals may be vulnerable. This question checks whether infection control is embedded in daily routines.
A strong response explains how you wash hands, use PPE correctly, clean equipment, and follow procedures during care tasks. It helps to explain why these actions matter, not just that you do them.
Care workers often underestimate this question, but inspectors use it to understand whether safety procedures are applied consistently. Talking about real routines, such as cleaning after personal care or using PPE appropriately, demonstrates awareness and responsibility.
5. How Do You Raise Concerns or Suggest Improvements?
This question focuses on culture and communication. Inspectors want to know whether care workers feel safe speaking up and whether there are clear ways to report issues.
A confident answer explains how you raise concerns with supervisors, record incidents, or share suggestions during meetings. It also shows that you understand the importance of reporting issues early.
This is one of the 5 CQC questions care workers must answer that reflects teamwork and leadership. Employers value care workers who contribute to improving care quality rather than staying silent.
From my experience, Inspectors often ask additional practical questions like these to ensure compliance and quality. These questions often form part of conversations with care workers during inspections.
Preparing Care Workers for CQC Success
Understanding and applying the CQC five key questions is essential for care workers. By focusing on Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-Led care, and recognising additional questions inspectors ask, staff can demonstrate competence, compassion, and professionalism.
CQC inspections do not need to feel overwhelming. By understanding the 5 CQC questions care workers must answer, you can approach inspections and interviews with confidence rather than fear.
These questions give care workers an opportunity to demonstrate commitment, compassion, and professionalism. When you explain your daily actions clearly, you show that quality care is part of your routine, not just a requirement.
Embedding these practices, care workers not only pass inspections but also improve service quality, safety, and satisfaction. The combination of knowledge, skill, and practical application ensures a confident, compliant, and person-centred workforce.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Do Inspectors Only Speak to Managers, or Do They Observe Care Workers Too?
A: Inspectors spend a significant amount of time observing care workers during normal shifts. This includes how they speak to people receiving care, follow routines, manage time, and respond to changes. While managers provide oversight, inspectors rely heavily on what they see care workers do in practice. Employers should ensure staff understand expectations beyond paperwork.
Q: What If a Care Worker Is New or Still in Training During an Inspection?
A: New care workers are not expected to know everything. Inspectors take experience level into account and will usually ask questions appropriate to the training completed so far. What matters most is whether the care worker understands their limits, follows supervision, and knows how to ask for help. Employers should be ready to explain induction processes and ongoing support.
Q: Will Care Workers Always Be Asked Questions During a CQC Inspection?
A: Yes, in most inspections, care workers are spoken to directly. This can happen formally or informally, sometimes during a shift or while supporting someone. Inspectors may ask questions individually or in small groups. The purpose is not to catch you out. Inspectors want to see whether care workers understand their role, follow good practice, and feel confident raising concerns.