Consultation results on inspection ratings for care homes and domiciliary support services

In July, Welsh Government invited you to share your views on The Regulated Services (Inspection Ratings) (Wales) Regulations 2025, which will establish a framework for published inspection ratings for both adult and children's care homes, as well as domiciliary support services.

Findings

The consultation found mixed views on several proposals, with notable discussion around the requirement to display ratings in different types of care settings:

• smaller adult care homes (4 or fewer residents) will be exempt from displaying ratings on premises to maintain a "homely" feel
• children's care homes will also be exempt from displaying ratings to protect privacy and maintain a family-like environment
• domiciliary support providers will not be required to display ratings in their settings. However, providers will be required to display at least one sign in each office at or from which a service operates.

The consultation also established support for an appeals process and the creation of an offence for failure to display ratings where required.

The benefits of introducing ratings:

• the new system aims to improve transparency while maintaining appropriate sensitivity for different care settings
• clarity at a glance: ratings provide an instant view of the quality of care you can expect from a service
• choose with confidence: ratings enable you to more easily select a care service that's right for you or your family member
• driving continuous improvement: ratings encourage care providers to improve their services, ensuring those receiving care can thrive

Next steps

The regulations will be laid before the Senedd on 28 January 2025. If approved, they will come into force on 31 March 2025. 

From this date, all ratings will be available on our website and providers' websites (where applicable), 

Visit the Welsh Government website to view the consultation summary (External link) in full.