CQC Regulation 19 for healthcare providers — what your references must cover

What CQC Regulation 19 requires for employment references

Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requires CQC-registered providers to carry out thorough checks on every person they employ. For employment references specifically, this means obtaining written references — not telephone calls — directly from previous employers covering three years of employment history. References must address professional conduct and suitability for the role, include an explicit question about the candidate's suitability to work with vulnerable people, and be obtained and documented before the worker starts in post.

What CQC inspectors look for in healthcare recruitment files

During CQC inspection, inspectors review a sample of staff files. For references they look for written reference documentation, evidence the reference was returned before the worker started, safeguarding suitability questions on record, candidate consent documented, and a clear audit trail. Phone reference notes, email threads and informal exchanges do not satisfy this standard. RefAssure generates a professional PDF for every reference containing all of this evidence automatically.

Many healthcare providers operating under CQC registration are unaware that their Regulation 19 reference obligations are identical to those of a care home or domiciliary care agency. The framework does not distinguish between care and healthcare settings. A dental practice, a cosmetic surgery clinic or an independent hospital faces exactly the same written reference requirement as a residential care home — and the same consequences for non-compliance at inspection.