CQC quality assurance & governance
Quality Audits & Policies. Make standards work in practice.
Strong care services need more than completed audit forms and up-to-date policies. Delphi helps care providers examine their quality systems, strengthen governance and turn findings into meaningful, manageable improvement.
The purpose of quality assurance
What are care home quality audits and policy reviews?
A care home quality audit is a structured review of the systems, records and practices used to monitor and improve the quality and safety of a service. A policy review examines whether written guidance is current, appropriate for the service and reflected in how staff actually work.
Delphi’s Quality Audits & Policies service brings these activities together. We help care and healthcare providers review their existing arrangements, identify possible gaps and create clearer priorities for strengthening governance.
The goal is not simply to prepare a folder for inspection. It is to make quality assurance more useful for residents, people using services, teams and the leaders responsible for oversight.
Recognise the warning signs
When do care providers need a quality audit or policy review?
Independent scrutiny can be valuable before inspection, after an internal concern or when the systems behind your service need greater consistency.
Policies need updating
Documents no longer reflect current practice, relevant requirements or the way the service operates.
Audit findings keep returning
Checks are being completed, but the same problems recur or improvement actions are not being closed.
Oversight lacks clarity
Leaders need a clearer view of emerging risks, accountability and whether quality systems are effective.
Standards vary across services
Provider groups want to understand why evidence, controls or working practices differ between locations.
What Delphi can review and strengthen
Quality audit and policy support tailored to your service.
The scope is agreed in advance. Depending on the concerns, service type and work already underway, your engagement can include the following areas.
Quality audits
Review the systems, processes and assurance activities used to monitor service quality, safety and improvement.
Policy review
Examine whether policies are current, relevant, practical and aligned with the way care is delivered.
Policy development
Where agreed, support clearer or updated policies that fit the service and help staff understand expected practice.
Governance review
Assess leadership oversight, reporting, accountability and how quality or compliance concerns are escalated.
Action planning
Translate findings into prioritised recommendations and manageable actions with a focus on meaningful progress.
Ongoing compliance support
Explore periodic reviews or wider consultancy arrangements where a one-off intervention is not enough.
Quality assurance framework review
Consider whether audits, management information and reporting give leaders useful, reliable visibility of performance.
Follow-up implementation support
Where needed, help translate recommendations into stronger systems, accountability and practical follow-through.
Not sure which areas need reviewing? Tell us what is happening in your service and we can discuss a sensible scope.
Discuss your priorities ↗Beyond the audit checklist
Turn policies and audits into a working quality system.
Good governance is not only about whether a document or audit exists. It also depends on what teams do with it, what leaders learn and how actions are followed through.
These four connected questions help explain what an effective assurance process needs to achieve.
Explore quality assurance support ↗Regulatory context
How does Regulation 17 relate to quality audits and governance?
Regulation 17, Good governance, requires CQC-regulated providers within its scope to operate effective systems and processes for assessing, monitoring and improving quality and safety, managing risks and maintaining appropriate records.
Delphi’s work can help providers review how these governance arrangements function in practice, including their audits, leadership oversight, documentation and responses to identified concerns.
A Delphi review is independent consultancy, not a formal CQC assessment or a guarantee of regulatory compliance or future inspection outcomes.
Our approach
From independent review to clear next steps.
We shape the work around the service and the outcomes that matter most, so the findings are useful rather than just another report.
Agree the scope
We discuss service type, priorities, known concerns and the documents, systems or areas to examine.
Review the evidence
Our consultants assess the agreed policies, quality controls, records and governance arrangements.
Identify priorities
We explain what is working, where possible gaps sit and which actions need leadership attention.
Support progress
Where agreed, we help turn recommendations into more consistent practice and clearer ongoing oversight.
From our clients
Independent insight, delivered with practical care-sector experience.
Rotherwood Healthcare
Experience and clarity matter during a review.
“Staff felt confident to be able to speak with Sarah throughout the visit.”Lucy Bland, Head of Regulation and Compliance, Rotherwood Healthcare
Rotherwood’s wider published feedback describes Sarah McCormack’s knowledge of adult social care and her supportive approach to discussing compliance with staff and people using the service. This reflects Delphi’s emphasis on useful independent challenge delivered in a constructive way.
Read the full client feedback ↗Connected support
Find the right level of assurance and improvement support.
Explore services that connect naturally with quality audits, policy development and governance reviews.
Frequently asked questions
A few practical answers before you begin.
The right review depends on your service, existing controls and the concerns you want to resolve.
What is included in a care home quality audit?
A quality audit can review relevant processes, records, quality monitoring, risks and governance evidence. Delphi agrees the exact scope and reporting outputs with the provider before the work begins.
Can Delphi review or develop our care policies?
Yes. Delphi offers policy review and, where agreed, support updating or developing policies. The aim is to make documents relevant to your service, aligned with applicable requirements and practical for teams to follow.
What is the difference between a policy review and a quality audit?
A policy review focuses on the clarity, currency and suitability of written guidance. A quality audit looks more broadly at systems, monitoring, evidence and whether practice meets expected standards. They can complement one another.
How do quality audits relate to CQC Regulation 17?
Regulation 17 covers effective governance, including systems to assess and improve quality and safety, manage risks and maintain appropriate records. Quality audits can help providers evaluate parts of those arrangements. See the official CQC guidance for the full requirements.
Is a quality audit the same as a mock CQC inspection?
Not necessarily. A quality audit may focus on particular governance or assurance systems, while a mock CQC inspection is designed as a broader, inspection-style readiness review. We can help you choose the right scope.
Do you offer ongoing compliance or follow-up support?
Yes, depending on scope. Delphi can discuss follow-up implementation help and wider ongoing consultancy or compliance arrangements to support progress after the initial review.
How much does a quality audit or policy review cost?
Fees depend on the service type, number of locations, audit depth, policy requirements and deliverables. Speak to Delphi about your circumstances and an appropriate proposal.
Your next step
Stronger policies. Better oversight. A clearer way forward.
Tell us what you want to review, any known compliance or quality concerns and what good support would look like for your service. We’ll discuss a practical scope for your needs.
