CQC inspections can feel stressful, but the stress usually comes from one thing: scrambling for evidence.

A digital evidence pack is simply a neat set of folders (and a few reliable reports) that lets you show, quickly, how you run a safe service and how you learn and improve.

In this guide, you’ll build an inspection-ready pack in days — then keep it updated in minutes each week.

Contents

This guide covers:

  • what a “digital evidence pack” means
  • a folder structure inspectors can follow
  • a 3-day build plan
  • what to include under Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led
  • a quick inspection-day checklist
  • FAQs

What a digital evidence pack is (in plain English)

Think of your pack as your “one-click” answer to common inspection questions.

It should help you answer:

  • How do you know people are safe?
  • How do you know staff are competent?
  • How do you spot issues early?
  • What did you do after an incident, complaint or audit?
  • How do you know the change worked?

It’s not a dumping ground. It’s curated proof.

The folder structure (keep it boring)

Create five top-level folders based on the CQC key questions:

  • 01 Safe
  • 02 Effective
  • 03 Caring
  • 04 Responsive
  • 05 Well-led

Then add:

  • 99 Quick Exports (PDF)

Inside each key-question folder, use the same four sub-folders:

  • A Policies & Processes (only the essentials)
  • B Checks & Audits
  • C Actions & Learning
  • D Examples (anonymised)

Add a short READ ME file in each top-level folder explaining:

  • what’s inside
  • who owns it
  • when it was last reviewed

Build it in 3 days (not 3 weeks)

Day 1: Set the foundations

Create the folders above in a secure shared location (SharePoint/Google Drive).

Make a simple index (a table is fine) with:
Document / Owner / Location / Last updated / Next review.

Pick one owner (Registered Manager) and one back-up.

Outcome: you have a structure you can explain in 30 seconds.

Day 2: Pull your “quick wins”

Aim for clean, exportable evidence that shows oversight:

  • training matrix (who’s compliant, who’s due, what’s overdue)
  • staff profile summaries (role, checks, training status)
  • audit summaries (care plans, meds, IPC, H&S, documentation)
  • action list (open actions, owners, due dates)
  • a couple of anonymised examples of good care planning and reviews

Put these in 99 Quick Exports (PDF) so you can find them instantly.

Outcome: you can demonstrate control of the basics.

Day 3: Add what inspectors really want: learning

Choose one or two real stories and document the full cycle:

  • what happened (incident/complaint/audit finding)
  • what you did (actions, staff briefing, process change)
  • how you checked it worked (re-audit, spot check, reduced errors, better records)

This “audit → action → impact” trail is gold. It shows you’re well-led, not just well-filed.

What to include under each key question

Safe

Include:

  • risk assessments and reviews (and how you monitor controls)
  • medication evidence (where relevant): MAR examples, error learning, stock checks
  • safeguarding: log overview, outcomes, learning shared
  • IPC checks and any outbreak learning
  • incident themes and actions

Effective

Include:

  • training compliance and expiry tracking
  • competency sign-offs (where applicable)
  • care plan review schedule and reminders
  • examples of assessments and person-centred plans (anonymised)

Caring

Include:

  • evidence of choice, consent, and involvement
  • feedback themes (compliments, surveys, family input)
  • examples showing dignity, respect, communication needs

Responsive

Include:

  • how you manage change (deterioration, hospital discharge, increased needs)
  • complaints process and outcomes
  • examples of quick plan updates and follow-up

Well-led

Include:

  • governance calendar (what you check and when)
  • audit programme, results, actions, and impact checks
  • supervision/appraisal schedule and samples
  • how you track trends (and what you changed because of them)

Fast wins that make your pack look professional

Use consistent file naming, for example: YYYY-MM Audit – Medication – Summary.pdf.

Put one-page summaries first, with detail behind them.

Anonymise properly (remove names/addresses; keep dates and the story).

Keep a small “Inspection Day” set: the 10 files you’ll open first.

Do a 20-minute mock walkthrough: can you find everything without searching?

Inspection-day checklist

  • I can explain the folder structure in 30 seconds.
  • I have recent PDF exports for training, audits, actions, and key logs.
  • I can show at least one “audit → action → impact” example.
  • I have 3–5 anonymised examples of real practice.
  • Key staff know where the pack is and how to access it.

FAQs

How fast can I build this?

If your records are already in one system, you can create a usable pack in a few days and improve it over time.

Do I need every policy in the pack?

No. Keep the pack curated. Link to your full policy library, but don’t overwhelm inspectors with noise.

How do I keep it up to date?

Add a short weekly habit: export the latest reports, file one learning example, and update the index. Little and often.

Next step: make it easy on yourself

If your evidence is sitting in different places, building a pack takes longer than it should.

The quickest route is to keep care planning, audits, staff compliance, tasks, and reports in one place — so your evidence pack becomes mostly export + file.

If you want to see how PlanLog supports that “all-in-one” approach, book a demo:
https://planlog.co.uk/contact-us