To evidence cleaning at a CQC inspection you need documented cleaning schedules, colour-coding records, COSHH assessments, staff training records and monitoring or audit results. A clean building is necessary but not sufficient — CQC Regulations 12 and 15 expect you to prove the cleaning is planned, controlled and checked, with a paper trail an inspector can follow.
Why evidence matters, not just a clean building
Under CQC Regulations 12 and 15, it is not enough for premises to look clean on the day — a provider must show that cleanliness is systematically achieved, monitored and corrected. Because CQC can prosecute a Regulation 12 infection-control failure that exposes people to significant risk of harm, the documented evidence is what protects the provider as well as satisfying the inspector.
Cleaning schedules and specifications
The foundation is an appropriate cleaning schedule: what is cleaned, how often, by whom, and to what standard, aligned to the NHS National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2025 and its FR1–FR6 functional-risk categories. Higher-risk areas are cleaned and audited more often. The schedule should be current, visible, and matched by records that show it was actually followed.
Colour-coding, COSHH and method statements
Infection-control evidence includes BICSc colour-coding written into method statements and applied in practice, and a COSHH assessment for every product used. Together these show that cross-contamination and chemical risk are controlled, not left to chance — exactly the kind of control the IPC Code of Practice expects.
Training, monitoring and audit records
You need records that cleaning staff are trained, and monitoring and audit results that track performance over time — the five-star audit scores against FR targets, with an improvement plan for any area at three stars or fewer. An annual efficacy audit and a displayed Commitment to Cleanliness Charter are part of the 2025 standard. These records turn 'we clean well' into 'here is the proof'.
How Optus Glean UK supplies the evidence
On CQC-registered contracts we provide the whole pack: cleaning schedules aligned to FR categories, colour-coding and method statements, COSHH assessments, staff training records, and audit results against the star rating. Staff are Enhanced-checked — DBS-checked (Disclosure Scotland / AccessNI in Scotland and Northern Ireland) — so the vetting evidence is there too. The provider walks into inspection with the cleaning trail already documented.
CQC cleaning evidence checklist
| Evidence | What it shows | Links to |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning schedule / specification | What is cleaned, how often, by whom, to what standard | Reg 15; NHS FR1–FR6 |
| Colour-coding records & method statements | Cross-contamination is controlled | Reg 12; IPC Code |
| COSHH assessments | Chemical risk is assessed and controlled | Reg 12; COSHH 2002 |
| Staff training records | Cleaning staff are competent and trained | Reg 15 |
| Monitoring / audit results | Performance is tracked and shortfalls acted on | Reg 12 & 15; five-star rating |