HSC England June 2026 release notes | Access Policies & Procedures Help Centre

Welcome to the June 2026 policy updates. Please note policies are rapidly changing to a new format. Quality Statements are evidenced clearly at the start of the policy, and a detailed Procedures section has been clearly separated out in the policies. For structured details on these policy updates, please see this>

And for the kitchen policies for England Residential Care, please see this>

This article was updated throughout June.

Complaints Policy

Change Classification: MODERATE

Added a paragraph in the "Complaints About the Registered Manager" section explicitly addressing the scenario where the nominated individual and registered manager are the same person, explaining that an independent person from outside the service will investigate. CQC registration guidance requires this to be stated explicitly.
Added "Accessible Information Standard 2016" to the legislation references in Section 1. CQC lists this as a required reference for the complaints policy.
In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Equality & Diversity Policy

Change Classification: MODERATE

Added an "Information Sharing and Recording" section after "Reasonable Adjustments" in Section 5. This covers when and how information about people using the service may be shared with other providers, the basis for sharing decisions, and how records about people are maintained without discriminatory language. CQC registration guidance requires both information sharing and recording to be addressed.
In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Good Governance Policy

Change Classification: MODERATE

Added a "Records Management" section after the feedback/involvement section in Section 5. This covers the three categories CQC requires: records about people using the service, staff records, and management/governance records. CQC specifically wants to see how each category is maintained and stored.
In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Infection Prevention & Control Policy

Change Classification: MODERATE

Added a paragraph under "Staff Vaccinations and Health" covering immunisation requirements for staff recruited from overseas, including checking immunisation status against UK requirements during recruitment and arranging missing vaccinations before the staff member delivers personal care. CQC registration guidance explicitly requires this for IPC policies.
In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Medication — Management of Medicines Community

Change Classification: MODERATE

Added a sharps reference paragraph before the Controlled Drugs section, cross-referencing the Management of Sharps and Needlestick Injuries Policy and specifying sharps bin requirements in homes of people using injectable medicines. CQC registration guidance requires medicines policies to address sharps.
In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Medication — Management of Medicines Residential

Change Classification: MODERATE

"Safe Management of Sharps" subsection inserted after section 5.11 (Controlled Drugs). Covers sharps bin requirements (BS7320), disposal at point of use, no re-sheathing, fill line limits, three-month disposal cycle, training and competency requirements, and cross-reference to the Management of Sharps and Needlestick Injuries Policy.
In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Training & Development Policy

Change Classification: MODERATE

Added a "Supporting Overseas and International Recruits" section before "How Training Records Are Maintained" in Section 5. This covers English language support, orientation to UK care standards, cultural awareness, qualification equivalence checks, and Care Certificate requirements for international staff. CQC registration guidance requires training plans to explain support for overseas workers.
In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Consent Policy

Change Classification: MINOR

In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Staff Recruitment Policy

Change Classification: MINOR

In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Staff Induction Policy

Change Classification: MINOR

In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Safeguarding Adults Policy – Community

Change Classification: MODERATE

· "Ensuring Impartiality in Investigations" — added to the Allegations Against Staff section (Section 5). This explicitly states that investigations into the Registered Manager or senior managers will be led by a person independent of the service with no prior involvement, names the types of independent investigator that may be used, lists the external parties that will be involved (LA safeguarding, police, LADO, CQC), and confirms that no person subject to an allegation or with a conflict of interest will have any role in the investigation. CQC registration guidance specifically requires "detail on how investigations will be impartial and which other parties may need to be involved."

· "Protecting the Rights of the Person During the Enquiry" — added between Step 6 and Step 7 in Section 6 (Procedures). This covers ensuring immediate safety by separating the person from the alleged source of harm, keeping them informed at every stage, centering their wishes through Making Safeguarding Personal, offering access to an independent advocate under the Care Act 2014, protecting them from retaliation, and providing emotional support. The previous policy had a single bullet point ("Support the person throughout the process, keeping them informed and involved") which was too vague to satisfy CQC's requirement to show how the organisation protects the rights of the person alleged to have been harmed.

In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 3 June 2026

Restraint and Restrictive Practices – Community

Change Classification: MAJOR

Policy title change: renamed from "Restraint & Physical Intervention" to "Restraint and Restrictive Practices Policy".

This is a complete structural rebuild. The new version has been rewritten from scratch to meet the 7-section format, comply with CQC registration document requirements for restraint policies (published February 2026), and provide step-by-step procedures for community care staff. Every section is either new or substantially rewritten. The policy title has been broadened from "Restraint & Physical Intervention" to "Restraint and Restrictive Practices" to reflect the full scope of restrictive practices covered.

More details are available>

Released 3 June 2026

Positive Behaviour Support Policy – Community

Change Classification: MAJOR

Policy title change: renamed from "Behaviours That Challenge & Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)" to "Positive Behaviour Support Policy".

This is a complete structural rebuild. The new version has been rewritten from scratch to meet the 7-section format, comply with CQC registration document requirements for positive behaviour support policies (published February 2026), and provide step-by-step procedures for community care staff. The policy title has been changed to lead with Positive Behaviour Support — reflecting that PBS is the framework, not an adjunct to behaviour management — consistent with CQC's own brief guide naming.

More details are available>

Released 3 June 2026

Safeguarding Adults Policy (Residential)

Change Classification: MODERATE

· "Ensuring Impartiality in Investigations" — new Heading 3 subsection added within the Allegations About Staff section, after the reporting steps and before "If an allegation is made against you." Identical content to the community version: independent investigator, no conflict of interest, external parties involved.

· Expanded "Supporting People Through Safeguarding" — four new bullet points added after the existing list, covering: ensuring immediate safety by adjusting the care rota; statutory advocacy under the Care Act 2014; protection from retaliation; and emotional support with continuity of daily routine for residents. The residential version adds the specific point about maintaining the person's daily routine and activities during the enquiry — relevant to residential settings where the person lives in the service.

In Scope, added the type of regulated activity provisioned.

Released 4 June 2026

Restraint and Restrictive Practices Policy (Residential)

Change Classification: MAJOR

Policy title change: renamed from "Restraint & Physical Intervention" to "Restraint and Restrictive Practices Policy".

More details are available>

Released 4 June 2026

Positive Behaviour Support Policy (Residential)

Change Classification: MODERATE

Policy title change: renamed from "Behaviours That Challenge & Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)" to "Positive Behaviour Support Policy".

No existing content has been removed or rewritten.

Content Added:

Our Commitment to Reducing Restrictive Practices (new subsection in Section 5)
How Behaviour Data and Restrictive Interventions Are Monitored (new subsection in Section 5)
Equality, Inclusion and Cultural Needs (new subsection in Section 5)
NICE Guideline NG11 reference added
Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training reference added
Governance, management and sustainability quality statement added to Section 1
Complaints Policy cross-reference
Managers' responsibilities — one additional bullet added

More details are available>

Released 4 June 2026

Kitchen Policies Suite (Residential)

Change Classification: MAJOR x2 and MODERATE x11

This release updates all 13 policies in the Kitchen suite for England residential settings. The primary drivers are: enhanced procedure depth in Section 6 (every step now specifies who, what, when and where to record); full alignment of Section 1 regulatory links with the CQC Single Assessment Framework quality statements; addition of the IDDSI framework for texture-modified diets in the Planning Menus policy; strengthened acrylamide guidance; clarification of roles and responsibilities throughout; and minor terminology and formatting improvements across the suite.

More details are available>

Released 4 June 2026

Agency Workers Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite to the 7-section format with new procedures, updated regulatory references and removal of all personalised fields. Title changed to "Agency Workers Policy" to align with the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 terminology.

More details are available>

Released 5 June 2026

COSHH Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite to the 7-section format. New procedures added. Scope expanded to residential and community. External cleaning section converted from toggle field to universal conditional text.

More details are available>

Released 5 June 2026

Data Protection, Information Governance, CCTV and GDPR Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Five new procedures added. Outdated content removed (DSPT 2021/22 deadline, NHSX references). Three personalised fields removed; four retained. LPS terminology issue not applicable to this policy.

More details are available>

Released 5 June 2026

Data Quality Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Three new procedures added. Scope expanded to residential and community. No personalised fields.

More details are available>

Released 5 June 2026

Data Security Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Four new procedures added. Scope expanded to residential and community. One personalised field removed. Audit checklist content integrated into procedures.

More details are available>

Released 5 June 2026

Disclosure and Barring Service Checks Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Four new procedures added. Scope expanded to residential and community. COVID-19 DBS content removed (no longer available). No personalised fields.

More details are available>

Released 5 June 2026

Dignity and Respect Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Three new procedures added. Scope expanded to residential and community. Quality statements reduced from 17 to 3. Extensive external quotations removed. No personalised fields.

More details are available>

Released 5 June 2026

End of Life and Palliative Care Policy (Residential)

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite to the 7-section format. Residential-only version created due to policy length. Five new procedures. COVID-19 section removed. NICE clinical guidance summarised rather than reproduced.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

End of Life and Palliative Care Policy (Community)

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite to the 7-section format. Previous version was 8,049 words with 26 quality statements appended, no procedures section, and a COVID-19 section. New version has four procedures and all content needed for a community manager.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Environmental and Waste Management Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Three new procedures. Scope expanded to residential and community. Four personalised fields removed.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Falls Management and Risk Assessment Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Three new procedures. Scope expanded to residential and community. NICE CG161 updated to NG249.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Mental Capacity Act 2005 and DoLS Policy (Residential)

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Four new procedures. LPS forward-looking section added reflecting October 2025 government announcement. Supreme Court Stage 2-first approach included.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Policy (Community)

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite to the 7-section format. Previous version was 7,447 words with 15 quality statements appended, no procedures section, and an outdated LPS section. Three new procedures.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Oral Hygiene and Dental Care Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Four new procedures. Scope expanded. Regulation 14 added (missing from original). PHE reference updated to OHID.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Person-Centred Care and Outcomes Based Care Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Four new procedures. Quality statements reduced from 28 to 4. Duplicated MCA, end of life and safeguarding content removed and cross-referenced.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Premises Policy (Residential)

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Three new procedures. Decontamination appendix removed (operational content — belongs in IPC cleaning guide). COVID-19 waste section removed. Four personalised fields removed.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Pressure Ulcer Prevention Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Four new procedures. Scope expanded. COVID-19 section removed. KLOEs removed. Two personalised fields removed.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Quality Assurance and Improvement Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Four new procedures. Scope expanded. Four personalised fields removed. Audit programme retained.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Record Keeping Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Three new procedures. Scope expanded. Massive GDPR rights duplication removed — cross-referenced to Data Protection policy. Records Management Code of Practice updated from 2016 to 2021. Broken local file path URL removed. Nine personalised fields removed.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Staff Supervision and Spot Checks Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Three new procedures. Scope expanded. CQC reference URLs updated. KLOEs removed.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Working Time Regulations Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite. Three new procedures. Scope expanded. Working time entitlements consolidated (stated once instead of three times). One personalised field removed.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Absence Management Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural rewrite to the 7-section format. Four new procedures. Seven personalised fields removed. SSP provisions updated to reflect the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes from 6 April 2026.

More details are available>

Released 6 June 2026

Body Map Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

This is a complete structural rewrite. The new version adopts the standard seven-section policy structure, adds full CQC quality statement text, introduces detailed step-by-step procedures with role and timescale identifiers, and expands clinical and operational guidance across both residential and community settings. The terminology is updated from “service users” or “residents” to “people we support” throughout.

More details are available>

Released 9 June 2026

Dementia Care and Management Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

The previous six-section structure has been replaced with the standard seven-section policy structure. All references to KLOEs have been removed and replaced with current CQC quality statements quoted in full. The COVID-19 section has been removed. Terminology has been standardised from "residents" or “service users” to "people we support" throughout.

More details are available>

Released 9 June 2026

Epilepsy Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

The previous six-section structure has been replaced with the standard seven-section policy structure. Terminology standardised to "people we support" throughout. CQC quality statements added. Content significantly expanded with new subsections on risk assessment, mental health, and training.

More details are available>

Released 9 June 2026

Buccal Midazolam Administration Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Three separate policies (residential care workers, nursing staff residential, nursing staff community) have been merged into a single policy covering all staff across both settings. The previous six-section structure has been replaced with the standard seven-section structure. The new policy distinguishes between registered nurses administering under their own professional scope and care workers administering under delegation, with a single shared clinical protocol. CQC quality statements added. The personalised field [buccal supervision] has been removed and replaced with an evidence-based competency review schedule drawn from ESNA/ILAE best practice guidance.

More details are available>

Released 9 June 2026

Care Planning and Personalised Assessment Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

More details are available>

Released 9 June 2026

Administration of Medication Other than Oral and Topical Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural overhaul from a non-standard format to the 7-section standard. Two separate residential and community versions merged into a single unified policy. Procedures rewritten as numbered step-by-step instructions. Medication rights updated from 6Rs to 7Rs with the addition of Right documentation.

More details are available>

Released 11 June 2026

Topical Medication Application Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

More details are available>

Released 11 June 2026

Transdermal Patch Application Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

More details are available>

Released 11 June 2026

Meeting Nutrition and Hydration Needs Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural overhaul from a non-standard format to the 7-section standard. Two substantially different versions (residential: 336 lines; community: 935 lines) merged into a single comprehensive policy. Procedures created as standalone numbered steps. Extensive appendix content on nutrients, finger foods, and vegan/vegetarian diets removed.

More details are available>

Released 11 June 2026

Health and Safety Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural overhaul from a non-standard format to the 7-section standard. Four separate documents (two policies and two statement documents) consolidated into a single unified policy. Statement signature requirement addressed through a print-and-file approach, eliminating the need for a separate statement document which was previously stored in Collaborate. Nine new content areas added following an audit, covering night working, DSE, home working, new and expectant mothers, contractor suitability, workplace stress, portable electrical equipment, occupational driving, and staff health and wellbeing.

More details are available>

Released 12 June 2026

Driving at Work Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full structural overhaul from a non-standard format to the 7-section standard. Two separate residential and community versions merged into a single unified policy. Road Traffic Act 1988 and Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 added to regulatory links. Three new procedures created in Section 6.

More details are available>

Released 12 June 2026

Discharge and Transfer to Other Settings Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

This release combines the previous community (personal care) and residential (accommodation) versions into a single unified policy covering both settings. The policy has been restructured from the previous format into the standard 7-section structure, with full regulatory links, CQC quality statements quoted in context, step-by-step procedures, and paired setting-specific callouts where practice differs. Terminology has been standardised from “service users” and “residents” to “people we support” throughout.

More details are available>

Released 23 June 2026

Monies and Financial Affairs including Safe Keeping of Valuables Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

This release combines the previous community (personal care) and residential (accommodation) versions into a single unified policy. The policy has been restructured into the standard 7-section structure with full regulatory links, CQC quality statements, step-by-step procedures, and paired setting-specific callouts where practice differs between residential and community settings. Terminology has been standardised to "people we support" throughout. The policy has been moved from the Care (England Community) policy type, to the Safeguarding (England Community) policy type. For residential services, it remains in the Safeguarding (England Residential) policy type.

More details are available>

Released 23 June 2026

Fit and Proper Persons and Nominated Individuals Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

This release combines the previous community (personal care) and residential (accommodation) versions into a single unified policy. The policy has been retitled from “Responsible Persons, Nominated Individual” to “Fit and Proper Persons and Nominated Individuals Policy” to align with the statutory language of the 2014 Regulations, and “responsible persons” has been corrected to “registered persons” throughout. The policy has been restructured into the standard 7-section structure. All four regulations (4, 5, 6, and 7) are now included in every copy with applicability notes, removing the need for the three personalised fields that previously controlled which regulation sections appeared. New content on ongoing fitness assurance and formal appointment and review procedures has been added.

More details are available>

Released 23 June 2026

Heatwave and Hot Weather Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

The policy has been completely restructured to the standard 7-section format, with new procedures (Section 6), corrected regulatory references, an updated equality statement, and the addition of the UKHSA guidance for social care managers as requested. This is a full rewrite, not an incremental update combining both the residential and community versions into one.

More details are available>

Released 24 June 2026

Chaperone

Change Classification: MAJOR

This is a full rewrite combining two separate policies (residential and community) into a single combined policy. The new version restructures the document into the standard 7-section format, replaces CQC topic area references with verbatim quality statements in Section 1, standardises terminology from "service users" to "people we support", adds formal procedures in Section 6 with named roles and recording requirements, and updates all external hyperlinks to current URLs.

More details are available>

Released 24 June 2026

Equality, Diversity and Human Rights

Change Classification: MINOR

This update corrects the use of second-person pronouns ("your") in the Role-Specific Responsibilities subsection of Section 5 (Policy Detail). The previous version addressed Care Coordinators and Registered Managers directly, which created ambiguity about the intended audience when the policy is read by all staff. The new version uses third-person phrasing throughout, consistent with how role-specific duties should be expressed in an organisation-wide policy.

More details are available>

Released 26 June 2026

Do Not Attempt CPR (DNACPR)

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full rewrite combining the residential and community versions into a single combined policy. Restructured to the 7-section format, KLOEs and COVID-19 statement removed, Resuscitation Council guidelines updated from 2021 to 2025, and all reference URLs verified and updated.

More details are available>

Released 27 June 2026

Accessible Information Standard Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full rewrite combining two separate policies (residential and community) into a single combined policy. Restructured to the standard 7-section format, CQC topic area listings replaced with verbatim quality statements in Section 1, terminology standardised to “people we support”, formal procedures added in Section 6, and live hyperlinks added to all references.

More details are available>

Released 27 June 2026

Nurse Revalidation Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full rewrite combining two versions into a single combined policy. Restructured to the 7-section format with formal procedures, removal of KLOEs and COVID-19 revalidation reference, and standardisation of the equality statement.

More details are available>

Released 27 June 2026

Parkinson’s Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full rewrite combining “Parkinson’s for Domiciliary Care” and “Parkinson’s for Residential Care” into a single combined policy. Restructured to the 7-section format with formal procedures, setting-specific guidance for time-sensitive medication, and updated clinical references including NICE TA934.

More details are available>

Released 27 June 2026

Surveillance Equipment and CCTV Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full rewrite combining two versions into a single combined policy. Restructured to the 7-section format with formal procedures for both installing surveillance and responding to discovered hidden surveillance.

More details are available>

Released 27 June 2026

Working with Other Providers Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full rewrite combining a community version (3,054 words, Issue 1.1) and a residential version (2,164 words) into a single combined policy. The community version was significantly more detailed; the new version retains this detail and adds residential-specific content.

More details are available>

Released 27 June 2026

Delegation of Healthcare Tasks Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full rewrite combining the community and residential versions into a single combined policy. Restructured to the 7-section format, KLOEs and COVID-19 statement removed, quality statements integrated into Section 1, formal procedures added, and Skills for Care delegation guide URL updated.

More details are available>

Released 27 June 2026

Verification and Certification of Death Policy

Change Classification: MAJOR

Full rewrite combining “Death of a Resident” and “Death of a Service User” into a single combined policy. Restructured to the 7-section format, death certification reforms date corrected from “April 2024” to “9 September 2024”, cremation forms section rewritten to reflect permanent abolition of forms B, C, 4 and 5, and reference URLs updated.

More details are available>

Released 27 June 2026