Single Assessment Framework: The Single Assessment Framework is the structure CQC uses to assess every type of service, built on the same five key questions and quality statements regardless of whether the provider is a care home, a domiciliary agency or a clinic.
The point of a single framework is consistency: the same evidence categories and the same quality statements apply across sectors, with the detail of what good looks like varying by service type.
Assessment is continuous rather than tied to a single visit. CQC gathers evidence from several directions, including people who use the service, staff and leaders, observation of care, and records, and it can update a rating without a full inspection of everything.
For providers this changes the preparation question. It is less about being ready for an inspection day and more about whether the evidence would hold up whenever it is looked at.