Mock CQC inspection for infection control: what to check

Governance · November 2026 · 2 minute read

Infection prevention and control sits under the Safe key question, and it is one of the easiest areas for an inspector to test by looking. A mock inspection focused on infection control checks that what your audits say matches what is happening in practice.

What to check

• Your audits. An infection control audit on schedule, findings that are real, and actions that are completed and checked again.
• Hand hygiene. Staff can explain when to clean their hands, and you see them do it. Sinks, soap and hand gel are where they are needed.
• PPE. The right equipment is available, staff know when to use it, and it is put on, taken off and disposed of safely.
• Cleaning. Schedules exist, are followed and are signed for, and equipment such as hoists, commodes and mattresses is cleaned between uses.
• Laundry and waste. Soiled linen and clinical waste are handled and stored safely.
• Outbreaks. You have a plan, staff know it, and you can show what you did the last time there was an outbreak or a run of infections.
• Staff knowledge. Training records match what staff actually know when you ask them.
• Your lead. There is a named infection control lead who checks practice, not just paperwork.

By type of service

• Home care: PPE stocks for workers on the road, what happens when someone is unwell at home, and how workers avoid carrying infection between visits.
• Care homes: the walk round matters most. Look at communal bathrooms, sluices, the laundry and the kitchen at different times of day.
• Supported living: shared spaces, how tenants are supported with their own cleaning, and how staff balance infection control with people's choice and control in their own home.

Turning it into evidence

Record each finding with the evidence you saw, rank it by risk and give it an owner and a date. Check again a month later to show the change has stuck. Our free mock CQC inspection templates have a section for this.

Want an outside view? Our mock CQC inspection includes infection prevention and control.