Providers must show they are meeting essential standards as part of a new registration system which focusses on people rather than policies, on outcomes rather than systems.

The essential standards relate to important aspects of care such as involvement and information for people, personalised care and treatment, safety and safeguarding.  Subject to legislation, the new registration system comes into force for NHS trusts on 1 April 2010 and for adult social care and independent healthcare providers on 1 October 2010. CQC will continuously monitor compliance with essential standards as part of a more dynamic, responsive, robust system of regulation accompanied by new enforcement powers.

CQC's guidance is focussed on outcomes - the experiences people have as a result of the care they receive - rather than on systems and processes. It was widely consulted on earlier this year and places the views and experiences of people at the centre of the regulatory system.

There are three documents that comprise our guidance about compliance:

• A Summary of the regulations and outcomes that comprise the Essential standards and Judgement framework
• Essential standards of quality and safety that makes clear the outcomes we expect people to experience if the provider is compliant with the regulations
• The Judgement framework which our assessors and inspectors use to judge compliance with the regulations

CQC has published a document summarising the consultation responses and how CQC responded to them, click here for more information.