Care registration,
done properly. First time.

Why applications stall

It's rarely the rules. It's the detail.

Assessors treat each form as standalone, then cross-reference everything for inconsistency. One small mismatch can send the whole pack back — whichever regulator you're applying to.

Why it matters now

Registration is getting less forgiving, not more.

Across the UK, regulators are moving the bar to the front door. Applications are increasingly expected to be complete, consistent and inspection-ready on the day they're submitted — not works in progress to be fixed through back-and-forth. England's regulator, CQC, has made that explicit in 2026.

What we register

Three regulated services. One rigorous method.

Whatever you're registering, the discipline is the same: build the full pack, audit it against itself, hand it over submission-ready.

Where we work

All four UK nations.

Each nation has its own regulator and its own rules. We work to the right framework for where your service operates.

The IHcPro Process

A clear path from "where do I start?" to "submitted".

The full picture

The whole registration journey — and where we fit in it.

Registration is rarely a single event. It's a sequence of phases that overlap with setting up a new care business. Knowing where you are, and what comes next, is half the work. The labels show who leads each phase.

1. 1
   You lead

   Foundations

   The business has to exist on paper first — regulated activity defined, legal entity in place, premises secured, insurance arranged, the right people identified and DBS-checked. Skip a step here and the application falls over later, however good the policies look.

   Typically 4 to 12 weeks before applying

2. 2
   Where we help

   Document preparation

   The full document set, written for your specific service and consistent with the entity and activity you defined. Statement of Purpose, business plan, service user guide, the policy pack, training plan, application forms and supporting evidence.

   Around 2 weeks with experienced support

3. 3
   Where we add the most value

   Pre-submission audit

   The phase most providers skip or do badly — and the single biggest predictor of whether an application gets assessed or returned. Cross-document consistency, document integrity, triple-role mitigation and a readiness score before you press send.

   1 to 2 weeks once the set is drafted

4. 4
   Regulator

   Submission & intake check

   The pack goes to the regulator with the fee paid separately. The first thing checked is whether it's complete and accurate. This is the gate that returns most applications — and under the 2026 rules in England, there's no opportunity to top up a pack that fails.

   Intake check happens at the point of receipt

5. 5
   Regulator

   Assessment

   Once a pack passes intake, an inspector works through the documentation, usually interviews the registered manager and nominated individual, and may visit the location. The interview is where strong-looking applications can still come unstuck. Timescales vary with the regulator's queue, but a complete, well-prepared pack tends to move faster — in one recent case, the interview followed within around six weeks of submission.

   Several months is typical — a well-prepared pack can move faster

6. 6
   Regulator

   Decision

   A formal decision notice: granted, granted with conditions, or refused. Until registration is confirmed, you cannot lawfully manage the regulated activity — starting before the decision is issued is a criminal offence.

7. 7
   You lead

   Post-registration & first inspection

   Registration is the start, not the finish. From day one you operate under the fundamental standards and the duty of candour, with ongoing notification duties. Providers who use their registration documents as live operational documents tend to score better at that first inspection.

   First inspection usually within 12 months

What you get

A complete, audited submission — not a folder of templates.

• Statement of Purpose built to your regulator's requirements

• Full policy suite developed against the right guidance for your nation — NICE and CQC in England, SIGN and Healthcare Improvement Scotland in Scotland, and the equivalent frameworks in Wales and Northern Ireland — referenced throughout

• Business plan built on Previsian-backed market data

• Location advisory on where to base and register your business

• Provider & registered manager application form support

• Cross-document consistency audit across the whole pack

• Metadata clearance across all files

• Triple-role mitigation where one person holds multiple roles

• Readiness score with severity-tiered issue list

• Submission plan and email structure for the regulator

• Interview preparation (on relevant packages)

What our audit catches

The small things that get applications returned.

Anonymised findings from real submissions we've worked on. None of these are drafting flourishes — they're the exact inconsistencies an assessor reads each document for. Every one was caught and fixed before the pack went anywhere near the regulator.

Packages

Flat fees. No hourly billing. No surprises.

Choose the level of support that fits where you are — from a document top-up to a fully interview-ready handover.

All packages are one-off flat fees. The regulator's own application fee is paid separately, directly to the regulator.

Who we work with

Built for new providers getting it right the first time.

Common questions

The things providers ask us most.