CQC Regulated Activities Explained: Types of Services That Must Register With the Care Quality Commission
If you are setting up or expanding a health or social care service in England, understanding CQC regulated activities is essential to getting your registration right first time. Choosing the wrong regulated activities can delay your application and, in some cases, place you at risk of enforcement action for carrying on a regulated activity without registration. Scope of registration: The CQC’s “Scope of registration” page explains which health and social care activities must be registered, who needs to register, and where exemptions apply, so providers can understand whether their services fall within CQC’s regulatory remit. It serves as a gateway to more detailed guidance on registration duties, regulated activities and key terminology.
This guide explains the main CQC regulated activities in clear, practical language and highlights common scenarios for domiciliary care, supported living and community‑based healthcare providers.
There are 15 main types of regulated activities that providers can register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England, each related to specific health and social care services. Registering for the correct regulated activity is a legal requirement and encompasses a wide range of care and clinical interventions. Below are the details of what are the different types of regulated activities that can be registered by Care Quality Commission.
What is a regulated activity-Care Quality Commission?
Section 8(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 describes a regulated activity as “an activity involving, or connected with, the provision of health or social care”. A CQC regulated activity is a specific type of health or social care service or treatment that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) oversees and regulates in England. These activities are defined by law under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations. Providers who carry out these activities must register with the CQC and meet required standards to ensure the services are safe, effective, compassionate, and high quality. You cannot carry out a regulated activity without being registered by CQC first. It is an offence to deliver a regulated activity without CQC registration.
Getting your regulated activities right is a governance decision, not just an administrative formality, because it defines what you are legally authorised to provide and what CQC will inspect.
Types of CQC-Regulated Activities
-
- Personal care: Assisting individuals with daily living tasks (washing, dressing, eating, toileting) when they are unable to do so independently
-
- Accommodation for persons requiring nursing or personal care: Operating care homes where personal or nursing care is provided alongside residential support
-
- Accommodation for persons requiring treatment for substance misuse
-
- Accommodation and nursing or personal care in the further education sector (e.g. student supported housing for people with disabilities)
-
- Treatment of disease, disorder, or injury: Providing clinical assessment, diagnosis, and medical treatments for health conditions (including care for long-term illnesses)
-
- Assessment or medical treatment for people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
-
- Surgical procedures: Performing surgery ranging from minor procedures to major operations.
-
- Diagnostic and screening procedures: Investigations like blood tests, radiology, and health assessments.
-
- Management of supply of blood and blood-derived products.
-
- Transport services, triage, and medical advice provided remotely: Includes ambulance and telehealth services.
-
- Maternity and midwifery services: Covering prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal care.
-
- Termination of pregnancies: Abortion provision.
-
- Services in slimming clinics: Regulated weight loss support, such as prescription of weight loss medications.
-
- Nursing care: Care provided by registered nurses in any setting, including homes or care homes.
- Family planning services: Contraception, fertility, and related sexual health support.
Why choosing the right regulated activities matters?
Selecting the correct regulated activities affects several key areas of your organisation.
Legal compliance: Providing a regulated activity without registration is a criminal offence and can result in prosecution, fines or closure of services.
Inspection and ratings: CQC will assess your services against the single assessment framework based on your registered activities, which links directly to quality, risk and governance.
Business planning and tenders: Commissioning bodies, local authorities and the NHS will expect your registration to accurately reflect the services you deliver and bid for.
For new providers, it is particularly important to align business model, Statement of Purpose and regulated activities before submitting a CQC application.
Overview of key CQC regulated activities
CQC lists a number of regulated activities in its scope of registration guidance, several of which frequently apply to community‑based and residential services. Below is a plain‑English overview of the most commonly relevant activities for your likely client base.
Personal care
Personal care covers the provision of hands‑on support with activities such as washing, dressing, toileting, eating and drinking where that care is provided in a person’s own home or other non‑accommodation setting.
-
Common examples:
-
Domiciliary care agencies providing personal care in people’s homes.
-
Supported living schemes where staff go into tenants’ homes to provide personal care.
-
-
If your service provides staff to deliver personal care in people’s own homes, you will almost always need to register for the Personal care regulated activity.
Accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care
This activity applies where an organisation both provides accommodation and also arranges or provides personal care or nursing as part of that same service.
-
Common examples:
-
Care homes providing accommodation with personal care.
-
Care homes with nursing providing accommodation with nursing care.
-
-
If you provide both the accommodation and the care within the same service, you are unlikely to register for Personal care separately; instead, this accommodation‑based activity will apply.
Nursing care
Nursing care is defined as care provided by a registered nurse and involving the provision of care, or the planning, supervision or delegation of care, for people due to their health needs.
-
Common examples:
-
Community nursing services.
-
Nursing input provided as part of accommodation‑based services.
-
-
Depending on how services are structured, nursing care may be covered within other regulated activities (for example, accommodation with nursing) or registered separately.
Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
This regulated activity includes the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of physical or mental health conditions by healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and certain therapists.
-
Common examples:
-
Clinics providing medical treatment or minor procedures.
-
Community‑based therapy or rehabilitation services where regulated healthcare professionals deliver treatment.
-
-
Many independent healthcare providers and multidisciplinary community services require registration for this activity.
Diagnostic and screening procedures
This activity covers investigations and tests carried out to obtain information about a person’s health, such as certain types of scans, imaging and diagnostic tests.
-
Common examples:
-
Services providing ultrasound or imaging.
-
Clinics carrying out specific diagnostic tests that fall within CQC’s scope.
-
-
Some diagnostic activities are exempt from registration, so it is important to check the CQC guidance carefully.
Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely
This regulated activity covers certain ambulance and transport services, as well as the provision of medical advice by telephone or other remote means where this falls within CQC scope.
-
Common examples:
-
Independent ambulance services.
-
Organisations providing structured clinical triage and advice as part of urgent care pathways.
-
-
With the expansion of digital and remote services, providers should review whether their telehealth or remote advice model brings them within scope.
Additional Regulated Services
-
- Services for people with a learning disability or autism: Specialist support tailored for these groups.
-
- Rehabilitation services: Recovery-oriented support for individuals post-surgery, stroke, or medical events.
-
- Treatment using medical lasers or IPL: Regulating cosmetic or medical laser procedures.
Quick Reference Table on what are the different types of regulated activities that can be registered by Care Quality Commission?
| Regulated Activity | Examples |
| Personal care | Domiciliary care, supported living |
| Accommodation for nursing/personal care | Residential care homes |
| Treatment of disease, disorder or injury | Clinical assessment, long-term condition care |
| Assessment/treatment under Mental Health Act | Psychiatric facilities, secure mental health units |
| Surgical procedures | Minor and major surgery clinics |
| Diagnostic and screening | Radiology labs, blood test centres |
| Blood supply management | Transfusion centres |
| Transport/triage/telehealth | Ambulance, remote GP platforms |
| Maternity and midwifery | Birth centres, prenatal clinics |
| Termination of pregnancies | Abortion clinics |
| Slimming clinics | Prescription weight loss clinics |
| Nursing care | Community/district nursing, care homes |
| Family planning | Sexual health clinics, contraceptive services |
How to decide which regulated activities apply to your service
When planning a new service or expanding an existing one, it is useful to work through a structured set of questions.
-
What types of care, treatment or support will your staff actually deliver day‑to‑day?
-
Will you provide accommodation as part of the service, or will people live in their own homes or tenancies?
-
Which professionals will deliver the service (for example, nurses, doctors, therapists) and what procedures or interventions will they carry out?
-
Will you provide treatment, diagnosis, screening or remote clinical advice that brings you into scope?
Mapping your answers against the regulated activities list and CQC’s scope of registration guidance helps identify which activities you must register for.
Consequences of getting regulated activities wrong
Mis‑defining your regulated activities can create compliance and operational risk.
-
Enforcement: Carrying on a regulated activity without registration is a criminal offence under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, and CQC can take enforcement action.
-
Inspection findings: CQC may identify that the care you deliver does not align with your registration, which can negatively affect your assessment under the Well‑led and Safe key questions.
-
Contracts and commissioning: Commissioners may view misalignment between services and registration as a governance weakness when awarding or renewing contracts.
How Care Quality Support can help
For new and existing providers, an experienced partner can help interpret CQC guidance and align your registration with your service model, governance framework and growth plans.
Care Quality Support can:
-
Advise on which CQC regulated activities apply to your proposed or existing services.
-
Prepare or review your CQC registration application, Statement of Purpose and supporting policies to reflect the correct regulated activities.
-
Support providers in domiciliary care, supported living, independent healthcare and complex multi‑site organisations to remain compliant as services evolve.
If you are unsure which regulated activities you need to register for, or you are planning to change or expand your services, you can contact Care Quality Support for tailored advice before you submit your application or notify CQC of changes.
FAQ-Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register with CQC?
You must register with the Care Quality Commission if you carry on any regulated activity in England, unless a specific exemption applies.
What happens if I provide a regulated activity without registration?
Providing a regulated activity without CQC registration is a criminal offence and can result in enforcement action, including prosecution, fines or closure of services.
How do I know which regulated activities to choose on my application?
Review the CQC scope of registration guidance, map it to the services you will actually provide, and seek specialist advice if you are unsure, particularly for complex supported living or community healthcare models.
Conclusion
All providers must select regulated activities relevant to their service provision when registering with the CQC. The full legal wording and scope for each can be found in Schedule 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.
