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PRACTICAL GUIDE

How to read CQC ratings and registration information

CQC information is useful regulatory evidence. Read the rating together with its publication date, the service assessed and the linked report.

Source guidance checked 10 September 2026 · Compare Local Care editorial team

Check which organisation and service was assessed

A location and its registered provider have separate identities. A location can also have ratings for individual services or population groups. Those results should not be treated as interchangeable.

Check which organisation and service was assessed

A location and its registered provider have separate identities. A location can also have ratings for individual services or population groups. Those results should not be treated as interchangeable.

We retain the source’s labels and dates. We do not average CQC categories into a numerical score or invent a combined star rating.

A missing rating is not a poor rating

Some registered services do not have an overall rating in the downloaded data. Where the source identifies an inherited rating, that status is shown alongside it. Read the official report for context.

Registration and availability answer different questions

Registered service types and specialisms describe the regulatory record. They do not confirm a vacancy, a current appointment, NHS dental acceptance or every treatment available at the location.

For care homes, registered bed capacity is not a count of vacant beds. Where CQC identifies two registrations for one location, our directory links the records and avoids counting the same location twice in discovery totals.

Sources and further information

This guide explains how to find and interpret service information. It does not assess an individual’s care needs or determine eligibility.