If you manage electrical compliance for a care home group, you know that CQC inspections can happen at any time and that electrical safety is a specific area of scrutiny. What many estates managers and compliance leads discover too late is that the documentation standard CQC inspectors expect is significantly higher than what most electrical contractors routinely deliver.
This guide covers exactly what CQC inspectors check for electrical compliance, the regulations that apply, and a practical checklist to ensure your homes are inspection-ready.
The Regulatory Framework
CQC assesses electrical compliance primarily under two regulations:
Regulation 12 — Safe care and treatment: Requires that care and treatment is provided in a safe way, including assessing and mitigating risks to health and safety. Electrical safety falls directly within this regulation. An overdue EICR or unresolved C1/C2 finding is a demonstrable failure to mitigate a known risk.
Regulation 15 — Premises and equipment: Requires that premises and equipment used are safe, properly maintained, and suitable for their intended purpose. This covers the electrical installation itself, emergency lighting systems, and any electrical equipment used in care delivery.
Inspectors assess compliance against these regulations using a combination of documentation review, staff interviews, and physical observation. The documentation element is where most care homes either pass comfortably or fail unexpectedly.
What CQC Inspectors Look For
EICR Status and Frequency
Inspectors will ask to see the current Electrical Installation Condition Report for the building. For more on structured EICR programmes, see our testing and inspection services. They check:
- Is the EICR within its recommended re-inspection date? For care homes, the recommended interval is typically 5 years, though some insurers require 3-yearly testing.
- Are all circuits covered? A partial EICR that excludes certain areas is not compliant.
- What is the overall condition? An EICR with multiple C2 (potentially dangerous) findings that have not been remediated raises immediate concerns.
- Have remedial works from previous EICRs been completed and verified? Inspectors look for evidence that C1 and C2 findings were resolved — not just identified.
The most common failure is not a missing EICR — it is an EICR with outstanding remedial works that were never completed. The report identified the risk, but the home failed to act on it.
Emergency Lighting
Emergency lighting compliance under BS 5266 is a specific area of CQC scrutiny in care homes because residents may have limited mobility and require illuminated escape routes at all times. See our emergency lighting services for how we deliver testing programmes in sensitive environments. Inspectors check:
- Monthly functional tests — a brief test to confirm each luminaire operates when the mains supply is interrupted
- Annual full-duration discharge tests — a complete battery discharge test to confirm each luminaire provides the required duration of illumination (typically 3 hours for care homes)
- A maintained logbook showing test dates, results, and any remedial actions taken
- Evidence that failed luminaires identified during testing were replaced within a reasonable timeframe
The logbook is critical. Inspectors do not just check that testing has been done — they check that the results have been recorded, that failures have been identified, and that remedial action has been taken. A verbal assurance that testing happens monthly is not sufficient.
Fire Alarm Systems
Fire alarm installation and maintenance requires BAFE SP203-1 accredited contractors. Pro Energise provides emergency lighting services under BS 5266 but does not offer fire alarm installation or maintenance. Care home operators should ensure their fire alarm contractor holds appropriate BAFE accreditation.
Portable Appliance Testing
While PAT testing is not a specific legal requirement, CQC inspectors expect to see evidence that electrical equipment used in care delivery is regularly inspected and tested. This includes:
- Hoists, profiling beds, and other electrically powered care equipment
- Kitchen equipment in catering areas
- Laundry equipment
- IT equipment and televisions in communal areas
The frequency of PAT testing should be risk-based, with equipment used in direct care delivery tested more frequently than office equipment.
What Good Documentation Looks Like
CQC inspectors are experienced at distinguishing between genuine compliance and paper compliance. Good documentation demonstrates:
- A planned programme — not reactive testing done only when an inspection is announced
- Consistent format — the same reporting standard applied across every home in a group
- Remedial tracking — every finding has a resolution date, responsible person, and evidence of completion
- Photographic evidence — particularly for remedial works and making good
- Accessible records — the home manager can locate any certificate or test record within minutes, not hours
For care home groups operating multiple sites, centralised compliance tracking through a platform like Contracts OS is essential. Inspectors may ask the registered manager about compliance status at any time. If the answer requires a phone call to head office and a search through email attachments, the home is not demonstrably compliant.
Working in Care Environments
Electrical contractors working in care homes must understand the operational constraints:
DBS requirements: All operatives must hold enhanced DBS clearance before entering a care home. This is non-negotiable and must be verified before deployment, not assumed based on previous clearance.
Safeguarding awareness: Operatives should have basic safeguarding awareness training. They are working in close proximity to vulnerable adults and must understand reporting obligations.
Minimal disruption: Works must be scheduled around care routines. Power interruptions to bedrooms, nurse call systems, and medication storage must be planned with the home manager and communicated to care staff in advance.
Noise and access: Drilling, chasing, and other noisy works should be scheduled during daytime hours and away from rest periods. Access to bedrooms requires coordination with care staff and respect for resident dignity.
See our delivery for Kissimul Group — a specialist provider of residential care for adults with learning disabilities, where all operatives held current DBS clearance and works were coordinated to protect resident routines.
CQC-Ready Compliance Checklist
Use this checklist to assess your current compliance position:
- Current EICR for every home — within recommended re-inspection date
- All C1 and C2 findings from the most recent EICR resolved and evidenced
- Emergency lighting monthly test records for the past 12 months
- Emergency lighting annual full-duration test certificate — within the past 12 months
- Emergency lighting logbook maintained and accessible on site
- PAT testing records for care equipment, kitchen, and laundry
- Contractor DBS verification records held on file
- Planned testing schedule for the next 12 months
- Centralised compliance dashboard or register covering all homes in the group
If any item on this list is missing or incomplete, your home is at risk of a CQC finding under Regulation 12 or Regulation 15. The time to resolve gaps is before the inspection, not during it.
For a summary of our care home electrical compliance capability, see our dedicated care home compliance page. For sector-specific information, see healthcare and care homes.