CQC-compliance cleaning is cleaning that produces the documentary evidence a registered provider needs for CQC Regulations 12 and 15. Optus Glean UK cleans care and healthcare premises to a documented schedule with colour-coding, COSHH assessments, and audit records, giving inspectors a clear evidence trail - delivered by Enhanced-DBS-checked, PAYE-employed operatives.
What Regulations 12 and 15 require
Regulation 15 (Premises and equipment) requires premises to be clean, suitable, and properly maintained, with an appropriate cleaning schedule, monitoring, and trained cleaning staff. Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) requires the provider to assess and control the risk of infection. CQC can prosecute a Regulation 12 breach; for Regulation 15 it can take other regulatory action and refuse registration. Our CQC cleaning requirements guide breaks both down, and our CQC premises cleaning hub covers every registered setting.
The audit trail we provide
Compliance is evidenced, not asserted. For every contract we maintain a written cleaning schedule mapped to each area, colour-coding records, COSHH assessments for each product, method statements, and monitoring or audit results - so when an inspector asks how you assure cleanliness, the answer is a folder, not a promise. This is the same documentation model used across our CQC premises cleaning work.
How this supports a CQC inspection
Inspectors look for a provider that operates an appropriate cleaning schedule, monitors cleanliness, and acts on shortfalls without delay. Our records show frequency achieved, audit scores, and corrective actions - the evidence Regulations 12 and 15 expect. Where clinical risk is higher, we escalate to full IPC discipline under clinical and infection-control cleaning, and for residential settings we deliver it through care home cleaning.
Cleaning to NHS 2025 standards where they apply
Where a setting also sits within scope of the NHS National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2025, we assign FR1-FR6 functional-risk categories and audit against the target scores, aligning your CQC evidence with the NHS framework in one system. The full clinical model is set out under healthcare cleaning.
Vetting for regulated activity
Cleaning in CQC-registered settings is regulated activity, so operatives hold Enhanced DBS checks (with barred-list checks where required), or Disclosure Scotland / AccessNI equivalents, and are PAYE-employed and trained before their first shift. See our DBS checks for cleaners guide.
Cleaning evidence CQC inspections expect
| Requirement | What we document | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Appropriate cleaning schedule | Written schedule mapped to each area and frequency | Reg 15 |
| Monitoring of cleanliness | Audit scores and inspection records | Reg 15 |
| Infection risk controlled | Colour-coding and method statements | Reg 12 |
| Safe use of products | COSHH assessments per product | Reg 12 |
| Trained cleaning staff | Training and vetting records | Reg 15 |
| Acting on shortfalls | Corrective-action log with timescales | Reg 12 & 15 |