| We've published an update on how we're improving how we work so we can return to delivering good regulation. In this update we have summarised what weâre currently working on to: deliver more assessments improve the experience of regulation strengthen our leadership make changes to our assessment approach. Setting targets for assessments We know that we need to complete enough assessments to give an up-to-date view of quality for providers and the public. We also need to make sure that our assessments are sufficiently comprehensive to give providers the information they need to improve. To help with this, we have set targets for the number of assessments we aim to complete. Between April 2025 and September 2026, we will deliver at least 9,000 assessments across all providers. We know that in the longer term, we need to deliver even more assessments. These targets are a first step towards that, but we will work to improve further in the future through fixes to our technology and moving back to specialist teams. Alongside this, we are tracking our performance through a full set of metrics. Strengthening our leadership External reports into our structural transformation identified the need for more specialist leadership around the sectors we regulate. In response, we have now confirmed 4 permanent chief inspectors. Our new chief inspectors will support our move back to being structured around specialist operations teams. This ensures we have the right expertise in place to understand the quality of care being delivered across all the services we regulate. Ensuring our assessment approach is fit for purpose We know that our assessment approach needs to improve. It's currently too complex and not flexible enough to apply across all the sectors we regulate. Over the last 2 months, weâve started to engage with our staff, providers, the public and stakeholders to develop changes to our approach in the following 4 areas: the content of our assessment framework how we apply our assessment framework how we make and maintain judgements rating characteristics. Other areas of improvement Of the 500 âstuck assessmentsâ reported in January, 14 remained as of 29 June 2025. Dedicated improvement work is being undertaken to resolve these.  From April to 29 June 2025, we completed 1,420 assessments. This exceeded set monthly targets.  Targeted work is underway to improve processes for registration, aiming to allow registration teams to focus their time on successfully completing applications and reducing backlogs. As part of our ongoing work to rebuild effective regulation, weâre making changes to the registration process for homecare providers. This aims to reduce delays and address the growing backlog of applications. Since mid February, our Registration team has been running a pilot aimed at improving the workflow process for applications from homecare providers. It involved assessing supporting documentation at the start of the application process, which highlighted that a significant number of applications are currently being submitted with incomplete information. This means many cannot progress further, resulting in additional pressure on our teams and contributing to the growing backlog. Homecare pilot part 2 From 1 July 2025 we launched part 2 of the pilot, which will make our process for handling homecare registrations more efficient and consistent, supporting applicants to submit complete and accurate applications. We will now routinely return and reject applications that are not complete or accurate at the point of receipt, without the need for a full registration assessment of quality, which will help us reduce delays and make the best use of our resources to continue clearing the backlog of applications over 10 weeks old. By introducing a clearer process and pointing providers to the right information from the start, we aim to reduce the number of applications being returned and improve turnaround times. This will also improve the overall experience for providers. Read the full update for more information on the process and who this affects. Co-designing a stronger, fairer CQC together Weâve launched a national programme of roadshows to reconnect with providers and co-design a modern vision of regulation. These events are helping shape our new assessment framework and technology, grounded in real experiences and open dialogue. Hundreds of providers joined us in Manchester, London, Leicester and Bristol to share their feedback. You told us you want more transparency, consistency, better technology, and stronger relationships with inspection teams. Weâre acting on that. Weâll continue listening, learning, and building a regulatory approach that works for everyone. We have a WhatsApp channel where we will share all of the latest updates on how we're working to improve. Please note that as WhatsApp Channels may not be available to all users yet we won't be sharing content on the channel that hasn't already been shared by other means. | 