Quality & Regulation
Quality Assurance & CQC Regulatory Status
Our Commitment to Transparent, Professional Ear Care
In Brief
Following formal consultation with CQC (Reference: CAS-1218456-T5V7D1), we operate outside regulatory scope - the same status as most mobile ear care providers. However, we've voluntarily built our practice to full CQC Fundamental Standards because vulnerable people deserve these protections whether regulation requires them or not.
Read the full story: The Regulation Gap: Why I'm Choosing Clinical Competency Over Red Tape
At Clear Ear Cheer, we believe that professional ear care services to vulnerable populations should be held to the highest possible standards—whether or not regulation legally requires it.
Our CQC Journey
Our CQC Registration Enquiry
In January 2026, we formally contacted the Care Quality Commission to explore registration for our ear care health services. We wanted to provide maximum assurance to the care homes, medical practices, and families we serve.
We asked CQC:
"Can we register for CQC regulation given that we provide clinical ear health services (earwax removal, ear health assessments, hearing aid maintenance) predominantly to elderly and vulnerable adults in care homes and their own homes?"
Reference: CAS-1218456-T5V7D1
CQC's Response: Why We Cannot Register
The CQC confirmed that earwax removal and ear health services are only regulated when provided by "listed healthcare professionals" - specifically doctors (GMC registered) or nurses (NMC registered).
As HCPI-qualified specialist ear care practitioners, we fall outside CQC's regulatory scope - the same status as most mobile ear care providers across the UK.
Legally Compliant
We operate legally without CQC registration
Not Required
CQC regulation is not required for our service model
Industry Standard
Same regulatory position as most professional ear care practitioners
Our Commitment to Excellence
Our Response: Exceeding Legal Requirements
While CQC registration is not legally required or available to us, we made a deliberate choice to exceed industry standards by voluntarily operating to full CQC Fundamental Standards.
Why We Chose This Approach
We serve vulnerable elderly residents in care homes and private homes across Essex, Suffolk, and London. These individuals deserve the highest standards of care—not because regulation requires it, but because it's simply the right thing to do.
As our founder Jon Bishop explains: "I didn't build these systems because a regulator required them. I built them because this is what safe, professional ear care looks like."
Safe
Robust infection control
Effective
Best practice treatment
Caring
Dignity and respect
Responsive
Tailored to needs
Well-led
Clear accountability
These are the CQC's Fundamental Standards—and we've built our entire practice around them, not because we had to, but because vulnerable people deserve it.
Our Quality Framework
Professional Qualifications & Insurance
- HCPI CPD-Approved Certificates in earwax removal, otoscopy, hearing aid maintenance, and ear impressions
- NACAS Gold Membership providing £5M professional indemnity insurance
- Enhanced DBS clearance for safeguarding vulnerable adults
- Ongoing CPD to maintain clinical competency
CQC-Aligned Clinical Governance
- Comprehensive policies and procedures meeting CQC Regulation 12 (Safe Care and Treatment)
- Clinical protocols for assessment, treatment, and referral
- Infection prevention and control procedures exceeding gold standards
- Safeguarding policies for vulnerable adults
- Consent and capacity frameworks
- Clinical documentation and audit trails
- Incident reporting and learning systems
Clinical Accountability
- HD Video Otoscopy for accurate assessment and patient education
- Evidence-based referral pathways to GPs and ENT specialists when pathology is identified
- Clinical risk assessments before every procedure
- Contraindication screening for patient safety
- Single-use sterile equipment for infection control
Independent Quality Assurance
- External peer review through professional networks and mentorship
- Annual clinical audits and quality reviews
- Patient feedback systems and continuous improvement
- Commitment to professional standards that exceed legal requirements
Supporting Your Compliance
Clinical Competence: What Really Matters
Ear care is a practical, hands-on clinical skill. What keeps residents safe isn't a certificate on the wall—it's the hundreds of hours of supervised clinical practice and the meticulous safety protocols followed every single time.
Supervised Clinical Training
Extensive hands-on practice with real patients in supervised environments under senior clinician observation
Technique Assessment
Competency certified only after demonstrating safe procedures on dozens of patients
Pathology Recognition
Trained to identify when to refer to GPs or ENT specialists for conditions beyond our scope
Multiple Techniques
Qualified in microsuction, irrigation, and manual removal—choosing the safest method for each individual
How We Support Your Care Home
Supporting Care Home Compliance
We understand that CQC-registered care homes need assurance that their external service providers meet appropriate standards.
We support your CQC compliance by:
Full Documentation
Complete policies, procedures, and clinical governance framework available for your review
Due Diligence
Comprehensive credentials and insurance verification meeting your requirements
Clinical Records
Documentation that integrates seamlessly with your care systems
Collaboration
Working closely with your care teams and GPs
Incident Response
Transparent reporting and continuous learning
Inspection Ready
Documentation available for CQC inspectors during your inspections
Our Values
Transparency is Our Foundation
We could have chosen not to contact CQC. We could have operated quietly like many others in this unregulated space. But we believe transparency and accountability matter more than regulatory convenience.
Instead, we chose to:
Proactively seek CQC guidance and clarification
Build systems far beyond what's legally required
Invest in professional governance frameworks voluntarily
Commit to complete transparency about our regulatory status
Make all documentation available for inspection
Exceed standards when no one is watching
What This Means for You
Whether you're a care home manager, medical practice, or family member, you can have confidence that Clear Ear Cheer operates with:
Clinical Expertise
Comprehensive HCPI training and ongoing professional development
Financial Protection
£5M professional indemnity insurance via NACAS Gold
Quality Systems
Built to CQC Fundamental Standards
Transparent Accountability
Full documentation available for inspection
Patient Safety
Our absolute priority in every interaction
Questions About Our Regulatory Status?
We welcome open conversation about our quality assurance framework, regulatory status, and how we support your compliance requirements. Complete transparency is fundamental to how we operate.
Want to judge us the way a regulator would? We invite you to:
- Review our full clinical governance documentation
- Request references from other care homes we serve
- Watch a demonstration of our HD video otoscopy and clinical techniques
- Ask hard questions about training, safety, insurance, and accountability
- Inspect our systems against CQC Fundamental Standards
- Verify our credentials—HCPI certificates, NACAS Gold, Enhanced DBS
- Review our data protection frameworks and GDPR compliance
Our Promise
Clear Ear Cheer will always operate with transparency, clinical excellence, and respect for the vulnerable populations we serve—whether regulation requires it or not.
We don't just clear ears. We clear the silence that isolates residents from their families, their care teams, and their world.
We can't change the regulatory system. But we can prove that clinical competence, transparency, and genuine care matter more than bureaucratic checkboxes.
— Jon Bishop, Founder, Clear Ear Cheer