CQC and Ofsted inspection prep: a visit to check your staff files are ready.

For small care and early years services. I come in, sit down with your records and your manager, and go through the people side the way an inspector would. You get a written report in priority order and the templates to put things right. The fee is fixed and agreed in writing before I book anything.

From £495No VAT addedWorks alongside your current HR provider

Book Your 20-Minute Discovery Call Call 07387 082994

Gap report: staff filesSample page. Illustrative only, not a real client.

Example service: what I found

Priority	What I found	What to do
Fix first	Staff files 2, 5 and 7: gaps in employment history with no written explanation.	Talk to each person, write it down, sign and date it.
This month	No single list showing when DBS checks are due for review.	Put everyone on the tracker in your toolkit.
Plan in	Supervision notes are short and don't record what was agreed.	Use the one-page supervision record.
Working well	Two references on every file, including the last care employer.	Keep doing this.

This is the format your report follows. Every finding says what I found, why it matters and what to do next.

Already have an HR provider? Keep them.

You don't need to switch anyone. We do different jobs, and you're welcome to share my report with them.

Your HR helpline	This visit
You ring them when something has gone wrong	I come in before anything goes wrong
Advice over the phone	I sit with your actual files and your manager
General templates to adapt yourself	Templates set up for your service, and I show you how to use them
Whoever is on shift that day	Me, from the first call to the walkthrough

What a typical visit looks like

Before the visitA short list of what I needYour staff list with start dates, and access to the files, paper or online. You choose some files and I choose a few more.
MorningTime with you, then the staff filesAbout half an hour with you or your manager on how recruitment works and anything already on your mind. Then I go through each file: ID, DBS, references, employment history and gaps, right to work, qualifications and induction.
AfternoonTraining, supervision and policiesYour training records, a few supervision records and the policies behind them, and whether they match what really happens. If it suits you, a short chat with a deputy about how induction and supervision work for them.
Before I leaveThe three things I'd sort firstSaid out loud, so you can start straight away rather than waiting for the report.
AfterwardsYour report, toolkit and walkthroughA written report in priority order and your toolkit, then a walkthrough with you and your managers, in person or on video.

I don't go into care rooms or children's rooms, and I don't speak to residents, children or families. Files stay in your building, and my notes use file numbers, not names.

What I look at

Record	What the rules ask for	What I check
Recruitment and references	Care: Regulation 19, Schedule 3 asks for evidence of conduct in previous care work and a full employment history with gaps explained.	Application, interview notes, references and how gaps are explained, file by file.
Identity and criminal record checks	Care: proof of identity with a recent photo, and criminal record checks where required. Early years: the EYFS safeguarding requirements.	That checks are on file, at the right level, and that someone tracks when they're due for review.
Right to work	Home Office right to work checks for every employee.	That checks were done before the start date and copies are kept properly.
Qualifications, training and induction	Care: evidence of relevant qualifications. Both: staff trained for their role.	Your training records against what each role needs, and how new starters are inducted.
Supervision and appraisal	Staff supported and supervised in their role.	Whether supervision happens, how often, and whether the notes record what was agreed.
Not included	Clinical care, medication, premises, care planning and EYFS curriculum. If you need those, I'll tell you and point you to the right person.

What you keep

A clipboard with a checklist next to a laptop

Your report

Every finding in priority order: fix first, this month, plan in, and what's already working well. Written for you and your managers, not for a filing cabinet.

Your toolkit, typically

A one-page checklist for the front of every staff file
A tracker for DBS, right to work and training, with review dates
An interview record with prompts on gaps and references
Supervision and appraisal records
An induction checklist for new starters
A short monthly file check for whoever keeps the files

A good fit if

You run a care home, home care agency, supported living service, nursery or pre-school
An inspection is due, a new manager has taken over, or you've grown quickly
You have an HR provider, but nobody actually checks the files

Not the right fit if

You want a full mock inspection or a rating opinion
You need clinical, medication or premises checks
You run a large group across many sites (ask me for a quote instead)

Price

£495Starting price. Fixed and agreed in writing before I visit. No VAT added.

Included

The visit to your service
Your written report in priority order
Your toolkit, set up for your service
A walkthrough with you and your managers

The final price depends on the size of your service. Travel outside London is agreed with you before anything is booked.

A full mock inspection that also covers clinical care usually costs a good deal more. This is the people side only, which is why it starts where it does.

Not in care or early years? The £395 HR Health Check is the simpler written review.

Who comes

Me. I'm Arrun Greaves, CIPD Level 7, and I run The Pocket HR myself. The person on your discovery call is the person who visits, writes your report and walks your managers through it. More about me.

Questions people ask

Will this clash with my HR provider?

No. I don't replace them, and you can share my report with them.

What do you need from me on the day?

A quiet desk, access to the files, and some of your manager's time across the day.

Will my staff know you're there?

Only the people you choose to tell. I work out of the way.

Is this a mock inspection?

No. It's the people side only, with no rating.

Can you guarantee a rating?

No, and nobody honestly can. What I can do is make sure the people side holds up.

When should I book?

Any time. It's easier to fix things without an inspection date looming.

Do you visit outside London?

Yes, anywhere in the UK. Travel outside London is agreed with you before I book anything.

Talk it through first.

Twenty minutes, no charge. Tell me about your service and when you're expecting an inspection, and I'll tell you honestly whether this is worth doing now.

Book Your 20-Minute Discovery Call

Or call 07387 082994