Regulation
Safety monitoring: a call for a shared vision
Jayne Connery of Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV) explains why the CQC must regulate for proactive, consent-led safety monitoring in care homes
For more than a decade, Care Campaign for the Vulnerable has stood beside families, residents, and care staff who want one thing above all: safe, consistent, dignified care for vulnerable people. Our work, grounded in real experiences shared by thousands of families across the country, has shown that safety concerns in care settings are rarely the result of one issue alone. Rather, they are usually a combination of culture, staffing pressures, systems, communication, and a lack of clear oversight when things go wrong. At the centre of this conversation sits the
Care Quality Commission – the regulator responsible for ensuring standards across adult social care. The CQC’s role is pivotal. When regulation works well, it provides confidence, consistency, and accountability. When it falls behind, becomes fragmented, or is perceived as reactive rather than proactive, the impact is felt by residents, families, and care staff in ways that cannot be ignored. CCFTV has long wanted to engage openly and constructively with the CQC. We
believe that collaboration, not conflict, is the only sustainable path to improving safety in care homes. But for that to happen, we need a regulatory system willing to look ahead, listen to the lived realities, and adapt its approach to modern-day care challenges. This article outlines where CCFTV
believes progress is possible, what families tell us needs to change, and how the CQC can build a future-focused framework that supports both residents and the providers who are genuinely striving for improvement.
A changing landscape – and a regulator that must keep pace The world of adult social care has changed dramatically in recent years. The complexity of dementia care is increasing, financial pressures on providers are intensifying, and workforce challenges are affecting nearly every care setting. Families are more informed, more involved, and quicker to raise concerns than ever before. Providers tell us they want clearer guidance, faster responses from the regulator, and consistency in inspection standards.
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com January 2026 Amid all this, the CQC’s regulatory
approach has struggled to keep pace. Families often describe it as ‘step behind’, appearing only once harm has occurred rather than helping prevent it. Providers frequently tell us that expectations can feel unclear or inconsistent. Some say they are penalised for being transparent, while those who keep issues behind closed doors appear to escape scrutiny. What is missing is a shared view of safety
– one that incorporates residents, families, providers, the regulator, and the wider sector. CCFTV wants to play an active role in helping create that shared vision.
Proactive, not reactive: the shift that needs to happen One of the strongest messages CCFTV receives is that families do not want the regulator arriving after the damage is done. The consequences of this reactive model can be devastating: unexplained injuries, unwitnessed falls, sudden changes in health, and in the most tragic cases, avoidable deaths.
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