CQC Framework Transition Brief - Adult Social Care Edition, May 2026

A comprehensive reference document for registered managers, senior leaders and decision-makers navigating the transition from CQC's Single Assessment Framework to the draft sector-specific assessment frameworks published in March 2026.

This brief covers all four draft frameworks — Adult Social Care, Mental Health, Primary Care and Community Services, and Hospitals — with most operational detail given to Adult Social Care. It is built primarily from CQC's own published pages, with interpretive commentary clearly labelled as the opinion of Nurture Nest Group.

What it covers:

The regulatory context that drove the shift away from the SAF. The architecture of both frameworks side by side. All 24 draft Key Lines of Enquiry for Adult Social Care, verified against Version 9 of CQC's published draft. The return of rating characteristics and what Outstanding now looks like explicitly. Strategic implications written separately for registered managers and for senior leaders and boards. A glossary, a limitations section, and a method and source assurance section so you know exactly what this brief does and doesn't claim.

Draft status:

The four sector-specific frameworks are currently in consultation. They remain subject to revision following the pilot phase in summer 2026. Final frameworks are expected by the end of summer 2026. A second edition of this brief will be published once final frameworks are released.

Who produced it:

Nurture Nest Group is a CQC inspection readiness and safety governance consultancy based in Bolton. We work with adult social care providers and other regulated services across the North West and beyond.