Accessible Information and Communication Policy Suite (CQC Regs 9, 10 | NHS Accessible Information Standard | BSL Act 2022 | Equality Act 2010 | 10 Operational Forms)

Complete CQC-compliant Accessible Information and Communication documentation suite, built by a practising Registered Manager operating a CQC Good-rated community care service with ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certification.

What’s included — 4 documents, 10 forms

✔ Policy Template (AIC1) — comprehensive accessible communication policy covering the NHS Accessible Information Standard 6-step framework (Ask, Record, Flag, Share, Meet/Act, Review), PEARL framework for dementia communication, aphasia awareness and adaptation, British Sign Language provision under the BSL Act 2022 with costs met by the provider, Easy Read document standards as standard rather than on request, translation and interpretation for 200+ languages, Speech and Language Therapy referral pathway, assistive technology provision, Communication Passports written from the service user’s perspective, and quarterly governance oversight. Fully white-label and editable. Version 3.0.

✔ Excel Forms Workbook (AIC2) — 10 operational forms across 11 tabs (1 Contents index + 10 forms), each in a dedicated worksheet, cross-referenced within the policy body:

1. Communication Needs Assessment (Form 1) — comprehensive assessment across understanding, expression, environment, preferred formats, communication tools, professional involvement, and AIS compliance at initial assessment and every care plan review
2. Communication Profile / Passport Template (Form 2) — individualised support passport written from the service user’s perspective, covering preferences, adaptations, tools, and format preferences
3. AIS Self-Assessment Checklist (Form 3) — 35-item NHS England AIS 2024 compliance self-assessment covering Ask, Record, Flag, Share, Act, and Quality and Governance domains, completed annually
4. Staff Communication Training Tracker (Form 4) — 16-topic training matrix covering AIS overview, face-to-face communication, Easy Read, Makaton, BSL basic awareness, Deafblind communication, aphasia awareness, dementia communication, NGT, assistive technology, and specialist communication
5. Staff Communication and AIS Acknowledgement (Form 5) — 11-point staff acknowledgement of policy understanding at induction and annually
6. Staff Communication Competency Assessment (Form 6) — 12-element practical competency framework covering AIS knowledge, Communication Needs Assessment completion, Communication Passport creation, PEARL application, aphasia recognition, BSL interpreter escalation, and SALT referral pathway
7. Quality Improvement Action Plan (Form 7) — structured QIAP framework triggered by any AMBER or RED finding, with 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month sustainability review checkpoints
8. Communication Compliance Audit (Form 8) — 16-criterion 6-monthly RAG-scored audit covering all operational elements from Communication Needs Assessments through governance reporting
9. Mock CQC Communication Inspection (Form 9) — 14-point 6-monthly mock inspection aligned to the CQC Single Assessment Framework Caring and Well-Led domains, designed to replicate inspector questioning methodology
10. Annual Communication Governance Report (Form 10) — Board-level governance summary for the accountable person, covering AIS compliance, staffing metrics, QIAP closure rates, and forward priorities

✔ Individual Word Forms (AIC3) — all 10 forms above as standalone, print-ready Word documents in fill-in format. Each form is self-contained with instructions and clearly labelled for day-one deployment.

✔ Master Implementation Checklist (AIC5) — comprehensive phased implementation checklist covering policy tailoring, forms setup, staff training, and governance readiness. RAG-rated priority coding throughout (MUST / SHOULD / GOOD PRACTICE). Designed to be completed before going live and retained as CQC inspection evidence.

Regulatory coverage

• NHS Accessible Information Standard (AIS) 2024 — mandatory for all CQC-registered providers since 1 August 2016; 6-step framework (Ask, Record, Flag, Share, Meet/Act, Review) fully operationalised throughout the suite
• CQC Regulation 9 — Person-centred care (communication needs assessment, individualised support planning) — primary regulation, inspected at every CQC visit
• CQC Regulation 10 — Dignity and respect (Communication Passport, cultural and personal preferences, dignity in communication)
• CQC Regulation 17 — Good governance (6-monthly audit cycle, QIAP tracking, annual governance reporting, 3-year retention)
• CQC Regulation 18 — Staffing, training, and competency (induction and annual refresher, competency assessment, staff acknowledgement)
• Equality Act 2010 — Reasonable adjustments for communication, protected characteristics, Public Sector Equality Duty
• British Sign Language Act 2022 — Statutory BSL provision with costs met by the organisation; registered BSL interpreter requirement
• Care Act 2014 — Wellbeing principle, information and advice duty, accessible information at assessment
• Mental Capacity Act 2005 and MCA Code of Practice — Supported decision-making, intentionality of communication, best interests determination where capacity is impaired
• Human Rights Act 1998 Article 8 — Right to respect for private and family life, informing communication access decisions
• UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 — Lawful processing of communication needs as special category data; consent to share
• CQC Single Assessment Framework — aligned to Caring (C1 Kindness, compassion and dignity), Responsive (R1 Person-centred care), and Well-Led (W5 Governance, management and sustainability) quality statements

For all community services

Domiciliary care · Live-in care · Extra care housing · Supported living · Outreach · Day services · Reablement

Buy once — yours permanently

£74.99 one-time purchase. No subscription required. No renewal fees. Purchase once and deploy across your organisation.

Licence scope

This suite is licensed for use by the purchasing legal entity and any subsidiary undertakings registered under the same parent company at Companies House. The suite may be white-labelled with your organisational branding, customised to reflect your operational context, and deployed across your registered service types. The suite may not be resold, sublicensed, published to third-party platforms, or shared with providers outside your organisational group.

Why this suite

• Written by a practising Registered Manager operating a CQC Good-rated community care service with ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certification
• NHS Accessible Information Standard compliance is MANDATORY for all CQC-registered providers since 1 August 2016 — non-compliance constitutes a CQC Regulation 9 breach and can trigger an inadequate rating. This suite provides the complete evidence trail for every CQC inspection
• AIS 6-step framework (Ask, Record, Flag, Share, Meet/Act, Review) is fully operationalised across every form — not a generic communication policy but a structured AIS compliance system
• Communication Profile / Passport (Form 2) written from the service user’s perspective — aligned to co-production principles, SAF Caring C1 (Kindness, compassion and dignity), and the person-centred care duty under Regulation 9
• PEARL framework for dementia communication embedded throughout (Proximity, Eye contact, Attitude, Respect, Listening) — evidence-based approach for the growing dementia population in community services
• British Sign Language Act 2022 provisions fully integrated — registered BSL interpreters, cost obligation on the provider, professional interpreters for care decisions (not family members), and deaf awareness training expectations
• Easy Read standards are available as standard rather than on request — inspectors examine whether accessible formats are genuinely embedded or retrofitted only when challenged
• 16-criterion Communication Compliance Audit (Form 8) on a 6-monthly cycle — increased from annual in previous versions for heightened regulatory rigour and more granular governance evidence
• Mock CQC Communication Inspection (Form 9) aligned to SAF Caring and Well-Led domains — replicates inspector questioning methodology (“ask directly”) for authentic pre-inspection readiness
• Annual Communication Governance Report (Form 10) — Board-level template for the accountable person, closing the governance loop from operational audit through strategic oversight
• RAG-coded implementation checklist — priority MUST, SHOULD, and GOOD PRACTICE items so you know exactly what is mandatory for CQC compliance and what is quality enhancement
• Aphasia communication guidance (stroke and language difficulties), assistive technology provision (hearing loops, amplifiers, communication aids), and SALT referral pathways are all embedded within the operational framework

File formats: 3 × Word (.docx) · 1 × Excel (.xlsx)

Delivered by: Care Franchising Compliance, a trading style of Care Franchising Limited (registered in England and Wales, Company No. 16271445).