CQC Registration Insurance Guide 2026
If you are starting a new care business and preparing for CQC registration, insurance is one of the areas that should be considered before you begin operating.
What Insurance Does a New Care Provider Need?
The appropriate insurance depends on what your organisation actually does.
A supported living provider, domiciliary care agency, complex care provider and residential care organisation can present very different risks to an insurer.
This guide explains the main insurance considerations for new and established care providers and the information insurers are likely to require.
Important: SRS Insurance provides insurance advice and broking services. We do not determine whether a service requires CQC registration. Regulatory requirements should be confirmed directly with the Care Quality Commission or an appropriate professional adviser.
Starting a new care service?
Do I Need Insurance Before CQC Registration?
Insurance requirements depend upon the activities being undertaken and the circumstances of the organisation.
However, new care providers should consider their insurance arrangements before they begin providing services rather than waiting until the business is already operational.
It can be beneficial to speak to a specialist broker during the registration and planning stage.
This allows the proposed activities to be presented to insurers accurately and identifies any areas requiring further information before the service begins operating.
Can I Get Insurance Before My CQC Registration Is Complete?
Potentially, yes.
Specialist insurers can consider new care businesses that have not yet begun trading or are progressing through the registration process.
An insurer may want information about:
- Proposed regulated activities
- Type of service
- Service-user profile
- Number of service users
- Number of employees
- Directors’ experience
- Registered manager
- Qualifications
- Recruitment procedures
- DBS checks
- Safeguarding
- Medication
- Personal care
- Behavioural risks
- Lone working
- Property
- Previous experience and claims history
The exact requirements depend upon the service and insurer.
What Insurance Does a CQC Care Provider Need?
There isn’t one standard policy suitable for every care provider.
A specialist care insurance programme can contain several different sections.
Employers' Liability Insurance
If your organisation employs staff, Employers’ Liability is an important consideration and will normally be legally required, subject to limited statutory exemptions.
It protects the organisation against certain claims involving employees who suffer injury or illness arising from their employment.
Care providers commonly require a £10 million limit, although requirements should be confirmed for the individual organisation.
Public Liability Insurance
Public Liability protects the organisation against certain legal liabilities for injury to third parties or damage to third-party property.
Care providers have significant interaction with service users, families, social workers, commissioners and members of the public, making this an important part of the insurance programme.
Local authorities and other contracting organisations may also stipulate minimum liability limits.
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Care providers make professional decisions every day.
Professional Indemnity can provide protection against certain claims alleging errors, omissions, negligent advice or breaches of professional duty.
The precise wording is particularly important because not all policies define professional activities in the same way.
Treatment Liability
Where staff provide treatment or certain healthcare-related activities, the insurance needs to reflect this.
Treatment liability should not automatically be assumed to form part of standard Public Liability insurance.
The insurer needs an accurate description of the activities being undertaken.
Domiciliary Care Insurance
Domiciliary care presents a different risk because employees normally work in service users’ homes.
Insurers may consider:
- Personal care
- Medication
- Manual handling
- Lone working
- Travel between clients
- Number of carers
- Agency workers
- Service-user needs
- Treatment undertaken
- Safeguarding procedures
Supported Living Insurance
Supported living can create particular insurance considerations because the organisation may provide support without necessarily providing all of the services associated with a traditional residential care home.
The insurer needs to understand matters including:
- Who owns the property
- Who holds the tenancy
- Level of support
- Number of hours of support
- Overnight staff
- Personal care
- Medication
- Service-user profile
- Mental health needs
- Learning disabilities
- Challenging behaviour
- Lone working
- Community activities
The insurance description should accurately reflect how the service operates.
Abuse Cover
Organisations working with vulnerable adults or children should pay particular attention to the abuse provisions within their insurance.
Important considerations can include:
- Limit of indemnity
- Whether the limit is aggregated
- Definitions of abuse
- Exclusions
- Defence costs
- Retroactive cover
The presence of the word “abuse” on a schedule does not by itself establish the full extent of protection.
The policy wording needs to be examined.
What Information Will an Insurer Need?
New Care Provider Insurance Checklist
Preparing the information before requesting quotations can make the process considerably easier.
Prepare:
- Company details
- CQC application/registration status
- Description of activities
- Expected turnover
- Estimated wage roll
- Number of employees
- Number of service users
- Age range
- Service-user profile
- Directors' experience
More complex services may require additional information.
- Registered manager details
- Qualifications
- Safeguarding procedures
- Recruitment procedures
- DBS checking arrangements
- Agency staff arrangements
- Medication procedures
- Behavioural risks
- Property information
- Previous insurance
- Claims history
Common Mistake: Describing the Business Incorrectly
One of the most important aspects of arranging specialist care insurance is accurately describing what the organisation does.
Simply describing the business as:
“Care Provider”
may not provide an insurer with sufficient information.
The insurer should understand the actual activities undertaken and the people being supported.
This is particularly important where there is:
- Complex care
- Challenging behaviour
- Mental health support
- Criminal justice involvement
- Medication
- Treatment
- Personal care
- Children or young people
- Multiple locations
SRS Insurance works with clients to understand their actual activities before presenting the risk to insurers.
When Should I Arrange My Insurance?
Ideally, speak to an insurance broker during the planning and registration process rather than immediately before opening.
A typical journey may be:
Business Established
↓
Service Model Agreed
↓
Property / Operating Arrangements Confirmed
↓
CQC Application Prepared
↓
Insurance Requirements Reviewed
↓
Insurance Terms Obtained
↓
Registration / Pre-Opening Process
↓
Cover Incepted Before Trading
CQC Registration Insurance FAQs
Yes. Specialist insurers can consider newly established care businesses. The insurer will normally place greater emphasis on management experience, qualifications, proposed activities and risk-management arrangements where there is no previous trading history.
Potentially. Speak to the broker during the application process so that the insurer understands the proposed commencement date and registration status.
Supported living can involve exposures not adequately described by generic business insurance. The policy and business description should accurately reflect the support activities, service users, staffing and property arrangements.
Professional Indemnity is an important consideration where the organisation provides professional services, advice, assessments or makes decisions that could result in allegations of financial loss or negligence.
Do not assume so. Abuse protection differs considerably between policies. Check the limit, basis of cover, exclusions, aggregation and policy wording.
Need Insurance for Your CQC Care Service?
SRS Insurance specialises in insurance for care organisations, including:
- Supported Living
- Domiciliary Care
- Complex Care
- Residential Care
- Respite Services
- Healthcare Providers
- New Care Businesses
You can speak to us while you are preparing your service rather than waiting until you begin trading.
Get a specialist Insurance Quote
Last reviewed: 26/08/2026