Making changes to your registration

If you need to make changes to your regulated activities, the locations from which you provide them or any conditions of your registration, you must let us know.

To apply to make a change, you need to complete the appropriate application form. You may need to submit supporting evidence with your application, so check the form for details.

See guidance about:

• Updating business address and contact details
• Adding or removing regulated activities
• Adding or removing partners
• Making changes to locations
• Varying or removing conditions
• Assessing applications

Updating business address and contact details

To make changes to your business address or your contact details, you need to complete a change contact details notification form. These are not conditions of your registration.

You should also notify us using the change contact details notification form if there is an administrative change in a location address but no change to the location or the facilities provided. For example, the name of the building changes.

Adding or removing regulated activities

If you are changing the services you offer, you may need to apply to add or remove a regulated activity. See how to make changes to the activities you are registered to provide.

Adding or removing partners

When we register a partnership, the names of all the partners form a condition of your registration. You must tell us if there are changes to the members of your partnership.

You need to complete an application form to Add a partner or to Remove a partner.

An individual partner can sign the declaration on the form on behalf of the other partners or partnership.

Making changes to locations

What is a Location? explains what we mean by a location. It includes rules to help you identify your locations.

We list your locations as a condition of your registration. You can decide at any time that you wish to carry on regulated activity from a different location. But first you must apply to vary that condition with us.

We will assess your application to decide if you can meet our requirements at your new location. We then grant or refuse your application on this basis.

Operating more than one service from the same location address

You can operate more than one service at or from the same location address.

You do not need to apply for a variation to add a service if you:

• are registered with us for each relevant regulated activity
• already have a condition saying that you can carry on the activity at that address.

You should describe the specific services you operate at or from each location in your statement of purpose.

We may reject an application to add a location if you already have the address as a condition of your registration for the same regulated activity.

Add or remove a location

You can apply to vary this location condition by:

• Adding a location, or
• Removing a location.

If we are already taking action to remove locations from your registration, you do not need to apply to have them removed again.

Move a location

To move a location to a different address to those listed in your condition of registration for the relevant regulated activity, you must apply to:

• remove and add locations for your provider registration
• remove and add locations for your manager registrations.

You must send us all the applications together.

You must have your application granted before you start to implement any change you apply for.

If you are moving a location that is your business address (for example your head office), you must also send us a notification of changes to your registered details.

Sell or transfer a location

If you are selling or transferring a location to a different provider, you must apply to remove it from your registration or to cancel your registration.

• You remain responsible for it while it is part of the condition of your registration.
• The new provider of the location needs to register or apply to add the location at the same time as you apply to remove it from the condition of your registration.

See information on buying, selling or transferring a registered business.

Varying or removing conditions

There are two ways to vary or remove conditions. This applies to both routine and non-routine conditions.

• CQC can vary, remove or add condition We will consider removing conditions when you can show they are no longer necessary. For example, when you can show that you have achieved and can maintain compliance with the regulations.
• You can apply to us to have the condition varied or removed

Applying to vary or remove conditions: provider

Complete the form to Vary or remove a condition: provider. You may need to submit supporting evidence with your application, so check the form for details.

The application form asks you to state the exact words of the condition you are applying to vary. For us to assess your application, you will need to tell us how you will provide your service in a way that meets the change you are requesting.

You must not make the changes to how you carry on the regulated activity until we have granted your application.

Amending the address of an existing location due to expansion

If the address of an existing location changes due to an expansion we do not consider this to be a location move or a new location. For example, if your address changes from 1-2 High Street to 1-4 High Street.

You need to submit an application to Vary or remove a condition: provider to carry on a regulated activity. You must explain the changes and the impact on people who use services. We may need to make a visit when we assess this type of application.

Applying to vary or remove conditions: registered manager

A manager has their own registration. Any conditions applied to them are placed on their personal registration.

To change a condition of their own registration, a registered manager must apply to vary or remove a condition: manager. Their employer (the provider) cannot do this for them.

If the condition contains a restriction, they will need to provide evidence that the restriction is no longer appropriate.

A manager may need to add a location or remove a location. This would be if they need to manage a regulated activity at or from a different location for the same provider.

Assessing applications

For any change that you apply for, our assessment process is the same as for any application.

See assessing your application and outcome of your application.