Do I need to be CQC registered as a self-employed carer?

The short answer

In England, the CQC regulates providers of 'regulated activities' — which includes personal care such as help with washing, dressing and eating. However, an individual who works alone, is arranged and paid directly by the person they support (or their family), and does not employ or engage other carers is generally exempt from registration.

This is sometimes called the 'self-employed carer exemption'. It exists because the CQC regulates organisations and providers, not private arrangements between one person and their own carer.

When you usually do NOT need to register

You normally fall outside CQC registration if all of the following are true:

• You work entirely on your own — you don't employ anyone or arrange cover by sending another carer
• The client (or their family) chooses you, agrees the work with you and pays you directly
• You are not working through an agency or introductory service that you own or control
• You are providing care to people in their own homes under your own arrangements

When you WOULD need to register

Registration becomes necessary when you stop being a sole individual and start acting as a provider. The common triggers are:

• Employing or subcontracting other carers to deliver the care, even occasionally
• Running an agency or introductory service that arranges carers for clients
• Setting up a company through which care is provided by others
• Working under an arrangement where a third party directs and controls the care being delivered

Not registered doesn't mean unregulated

Even without CQC registration you still have real legal duties: safeguarding, health and safety, data protection (including the ICO fee in most cases), and acting within your training. Families, councils and people using direct payments will usually ask for your DBS check, insurance, training certificates and written policies before hiring you.

This is exactly what Carer Hub is built for — keeping your documents, training, policies and signed agreements in one place so you can show them at a moment's notice.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The CQC only covers England. Scotland has the Care Inspectorate, Wales has Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) alongside Social Care Wales, and Northern Ireland has the RQIA. The rules differ — for example, Wales has registration requirements for some parts of the social care workforce. Always check with the regulator in the nation where you work.

What to do if you're not sure

Read the CQC's own guidance on registration for individual carers, and if your situation is unusual — for example you sometimes arrange cover — get advice before you start. Carer Hub members can book a free 30-minute session with an independent accredited care consultant to talk it through.