CQC Draft Report: What Can You Correct in 10 Working Days?
Updated: Oct 11
Short answer: If CQC emails your adult social care service a draft assessment report, you have 10 working days from the date of that email to submit factual accuracy comments. Use the check to identify a specific factual error or material omission and provide evidence relevant to the time of assessment. It is not a general appeal against a rating you dislike. Read CQC’s current submission guidance as soon as the email arrives.
Who receives the draft, and how do we respond?
CQC says it emails the appropriate registered person. Where there is more than one, such as a nominated individual and registered manager, each receives the email. For most assessments it sends a link to review the report online. You can comment against the relevant section and upload supporting evidence; some assessment types use a Word form instead. If you cannot use the online process, discuss the alternative with the assessor. Make sure CQC has current contact details before an assessment.
The responsible person should check and approve what is submitted. Save a secure copy of the draft, your comments and the supporting documents so you can explain which version of each record existed at the assessment date. The deadline runs from the email date, not the day someone first opens the link. CQC says it extends the period only in exceptional circumstances; tell it immediately in writing if you cannot meet the deadline.
What can a provider correct?
CQC’s factual accuracy guidance identifies three useful types of comment:
Clear factual mistakes, such as an incorrect date, number, job title or other identifiable detail.
An inaccurate statement that contributed to a judgement, supported by evidence showing the position at the time of assessment.
Relevant information omitted from the draft, such as an assessment-time example that could materially affect how the evidence is understood.
Keep each comment tied to the exact report section. State the draft wording, the correction you seek, why it matters, and which dated record supports it. Avoid sending a large folder without explaining its relevance. CQC’s overview says a report need not list every item it considered, so absence of a favourite document alone does not prove an error.
Illustration only: A draft says no care-plan review occurred before the assessment. The provider finds a securely held, dated review and evidence it was available at the time. A focused comment identifies the paragraph and attaches that record, with personal information handled securely. The provider should not create or backdate a review and describe it as assessment-time evidence.
What about improvements made after the assessment?
Act on risks promptly, whether or not a draft report has arrived. You can tell CQC about subsequent action, and the assessor may decide to mention it in the final report. CQC says that, except in exceptional circumstances, newly completed improvements do not change the judgement about the position at the time of assessment. Its own example distinguishes a policy that existed when the assessor visited from one introduced only afterwards. See what CQC says about draft judgements and ratings.
What is outside the factual accuracy check?
CQC says this process should not be used merely to disagree with a score or rating, dispute how the assessment was carried out, or contest proposed enforcement. It points providers to its complaints and enforcement routes for those different issues. Describe a disagreement as a factual accuracy point only when you can identify an error or omission and support it with relevant evidence.
A rating process review is another, later route. It follows publication, concerns whether CQC followed its quality-control process, and must be requested within 15 working days of publication if applicable. It is not a second chance to argue the evidence solely because you disagree with the judgement. Do not wait for publication to raise an assessment-time factual error you can address during the draft check.
Practical questions
Can a factual correction affect the draft rating?
Possibly. CQC says it may change draft judgements or ratings if underlying evidence was inaccurate or incomplete. A change is not automatic; the assessor considers the evidence and explains the response.
What if I need to know the basis for a statement?
Ask the assessor a short, specific question explaining why the information is necessary to raise a factual inaccuracy. CQC says it will not release an inspector’s full notes, though it may consider extracts about a particular issue. Its submission guidance gives the contact route if you are not already speaking to the assessor.
Should I wait for the report before fixing a risk?
No. Protect people, report or escalate concerns as required, and record the response. Keep the dates clear so assessment-time facts are not confused with later improvement.
Need to organise the underlying evidence?
If the deadline is close, book a free 30-minute consultation and explain the date in CQC’s email. Looking Glass Care’s £495 Care Provider Compliance Review includes an agreed evidence review, one-hour remote meeting, written priority action plan and one follow-up call. Confirm the scope before booking: this service is an independent governance review, not legal representation, a promise to draft your CQC response or a guaranteed rating change.
England provider-assessment guidance checked 27 September 2026. Follow the instructions in the specific draft-report email and current CQC guidance.
Useful resources for this topic
If you would like a practical record to use alongside this article, the resources below explain their scope, format and price. Choose only the material that fits your circumstances; a completed template is a starting point for action and review.
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