New Partnership Delivers Real-Time Alternative to CQC Ratings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A new partnership between Care Match UK and OpenScore is stepping in to deliver real-time transparency in adult social care, as the CQC admits it could take two more years to fix its broken ratings system.

The pilot project gives care providers a live, daily score which improves transparency by using real-time data based on the key areas assessed by the CQC. It aims to bring much-needed clarity to families, professionals, and providers navigating a system under pressure.

We are now inviting care providers to join this pilot, helping shape a groundbreaking tool that reflects care quality in real time.

This collaboration comes at a critical moment for the sector. In its June 2025 Board Report, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) confirmed it could take another two years to resolve deep-rooted issues in its rating framework and digital infrastructure.

For providers delivering outstanding care today, continuing to operate under outdated inspection reports simply isn’t good enough, especially when even reports just six months old may no longer reflect the true quality of care being delivered.

Problems with the CQC rating system

For example, under the current system, providers rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ can be unfairly penalised for years, with little incentive to make immediate changes since updated ratings are so slow to follow.

The CQC also revealed that 35% of registration applications are facing delays of more than 10 weeks and acknowledged that major digital and process challenges remain unresolved.

In response, this new partnership presents a clear, data-driven alternative.Developed by Autumna, with expert analysis led by Care Match UK, OpenScore uses live data from Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs) to assess performance across the five CQC domains: Safe, Caring, Responsive, Effective, and Well-led.

This partnership is set to evolve OpenScore by bringing intelligent data analysis and implementation across a pilot group of forward-thinking providers.

Commenting, Debbie Harris, founder of Autumna and creator of OpenScore said: “The social care sector can no longer be shackled by outdated inspection reports that fail to reflect the exceptional care being delivered today. OpenScore is a game-changer. It gives providers the power to break free from years-old ratings and own their quality story in real time.“

Unlike other directories, Autumna doesn’t take referral fees so families can be confident they’re seeing services based on suitability, not paid placement. OpenScore builds on that same ethos of transparency, giving providers a powerful, data-led way to showcase their value and quality of care with honesty and clarity. "Through our pilot with Care Match UK, we’re delivering transparency and control back to providers, enabling them to prove their excellence every single day, not just when inspections happen. This is about rewriting the narrative of care quality and the time for change is now.”

Why the OpenScore and Care Match UK partnership matters

While the CQC delays improvements, this new partnership offers an immediate, meaningful way to showcase quality. Providers taking part in the pilot will be able to:

• Demonstrate real-time performance to families, commissioners, and regulators
• Surface daily scores using existing DSCR data - no extra paperwork required
• Benchmark performance across care groups or services
• Strengthen trust with care seekers through radical transparency
• Showcase care quality in a consistent, comparable format using standardised scoring across the five CQC domains: Safe, Caring, Responsive, Effective, and Well-led
• Attract new residents with the industry’s first real-time, digital care-quality score that reflects the daily delivery of care

Luke Rothwell, Managing Director, Care Match UK added: “I see our partnership with OpenScore as a HUGE shift in how data can be used to better support care seekers and care providers alike. Imagine a world where quality is transparent and instantly verifiable, helping families make informed choices and empowering providers to continuously improve. It's incredibly exciting!"

Join the OpenScore pilot

Providers interested in shaping the future of care transparency are invited to join the pilot now. Integration is simple, just a data sharing agreement and quick profile setup with Care Match UK, and the rest is handled for you. Scores remain private until you’re ready to share them. No personally identifiable information is ever passed to OpenScore, only the aggregated scoring.

Learn more:

🔗 OpenScore website
🔗 carematchuk.co.uk 
📧 Or contact the Care Match UK team on luke@carematchuk.co.uk
to register interest directly.
📧 You can also contact Debbie Harris on debbie@autumna.co.uk.

What makes Care Match UK the ideal partner?

Founded by experienced care professionals, Care Match UK bridges the gap between technology and real-world care delivery. Their team offers:

• Deep, hands-on knowledge of all major DSCR systems
• Expertise in CQC frameworks and what really matters during inspections
• Practical tools to extract and interpret care data, turning it into meaningful quality insights

In short, Care Match UK has built the “brain” that translates a provider’s daily data into clear OpenScore results, helping them show, without extra admin, just how well they’re performing.

To find out more about Care Match UK, visit their website: https://carematchuk.co.uk/

Notes for the editor:

About Care Match UK
Care Match UK is a dedicated digital transformation partner in the adult social care sector. Specialising in DSCR systems, compliance, and provider support, they help services embrace technology to improve outcomes and deliver safer, smarter care.

About OpenScore
Developed by Autumna, OpenScore is the UK’s first daily scoring tool that uses multiple live data sources to generate a real-time score out of 10, offering careseekers a clear, accurate view of care home quality.