What is the role of CQC regarding infection control?

Maintaining strong infection control standards is essential for care homes, GP surgeries, dental practices, and supported living environments. CQC inspections place a heavy focus on cleanliness, hygiene systems, and infection prevention. Having the right cleaning partner in place makes all the difference.

At Officlean, we help healthcare and care providers maintain safe, hygienic, and compliant environments through professional cleaning services that support CQC requirements every day, not just on inspection day.

Why the CQC Places Such Importance on Infection Control

CQC’s infection prevention and control quality statement is clear

“We assess and manage the risk of infection. We detect and control the risk of it spreading and share any concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.”

This means inspectors want to see that infection prevention is embedded into everything your organisation does. Cleanliness alone isn’t enough. They expect clear roles, consistent procedures, trained staff, and robust documentation to protect residents, patients, and staff.

Key Areas CQC Inspectors Focus on During Infection Control Inspections

CQC inspections use the Single Assessment Framework to assess how well services manage infection prevention and control. Inspectors evaluate both daily practices and overall systems to ensure residents, patients, and staff are protected.

Policies and Leadership

Inspectors check that providers have up-to-date infection prevention and control (IPC) policies, effective governance, and strong leadership to manage infection risks.

Officlean supports leadership by providing documented cleaning schedules, audit logs, and risk management records that demonstrate proactive infection control, helping managers show that systems are well-organised and under control.

Staff Competence

Staff knowledge and competence are critical. Inspectors verify that all staff are trained in hygiene, proper use of PPE, and outbreak procedures.

Environment and Equipment

Inspectors assess the cleanliness, layout, and maintenance of premises and equipment, from communal areas to treatment rooms.

Officlean ensures all environments are consistently clean, sanitised, and well-maintained, including carpets, upholstery, windows, and high-touch points. Our deep cleaning programmes target areas that are often overlooked, giving inspectors confidence in your environment.

PPE and Hygiene

Availability and correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), along with good personal hygiene practices, are closely observed.

Officlean supports hygiene standards with washroom services, replenishing hygiene supplies, and cleaning high-contact areas, ensuring staff and residents have the facilities and environment to maintain good hygiene at all times.

Testing and Vaccination

Inspectors review how providers manage access to testing and vaccination for staff and residents, ensuring everyone is supported to minimise infection risks.

Outbreak Management

CQC evaluates a service’s ability to respond effectively to outbreaks and share information with relevant agencies.

Our deep cleaning and emergency cleaning services ensure that any potential contamination is promptly addressed, helping care providers manage outbreaks in line with CQC guidance.

Resource Management

Inspectors check that there are adequate systems in place for food hygiene, waste management, and handling clinical specimens.

Officlean helps by maintaining clean, organised kitchens, washrooms, and waste areas, and providing janitorial supplies and pest control services to support safe operations.

How CQC Assess and Report Infection Control

Inspections

CQC conducts both announced and unannounced inspections, walking through the premises and observing daily routines to see how infection control is managed in practice.

Quality Statements

Providers are assessed against the infection prevention and control quality statement, with inspectors looking for proactive management and clear documented evidence.

Reporting

Providers must report outbreaks and any concerns, which CQC reviews to ensure timely action and ongoing compliance with regulations.

How We Support Compliance Across All Key Areas

Officlean provides tailored cleaning and hygiene solutions designed to align with every area of CQC focus. Our commercial cleaning services include:

• Daily contract cleaning and deep cleaning
• Washroom services and hygiene supply management
• Carpet, upholstery, and window cleaning
• Janitorial supplies
• Pest control

We create cleaning plans that are fully documented, monitored, and compliant, giving care providers the confidence that their premises are always inspection-ready.

We serve healthcare and care environments in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Halesowen, Walsall, Tamworth, Telford, Cannock, Leicester, Coventry, Derby, and Northampton.

Get in touch with our team in East and West Midlands

Simply call us on 01902 895533 or fill out our contact form to arrange a cleaning plan that suits your business.