The Effective Key Question.Four KLOEs, in plain English.
Under the 2026 CQC framework, the Effective Key Question asks whether “your care, treatment and support achieves good outcomes, helps you to maintain quality of life and is based on the best available evidence” — across four Key Lines of Enquiry.
Based on CQC's draft Adult Social Care Assessment Framework, version 9 — in consultation until 12 June 2026.
Care that is based on evidence — and achieves outcomes.
Effective is about whether care actually works: needs properly assessed, care delivered in line with good practice, people supported to stay well, and consent handled lawfully. Its four KLOEs put real weight on outcomes — not that a task was done, but that it made a difference.
The common shortfall is the stale plan: an assessment done once and filed, a care plan that no longer matches the person, an outcome nobody tracked. Effective asks you to show care keeping up with the person.
The four Effective KLOEs.
KLOE 1Assessing needs
"Are people’s needs holistically assessed and reviewed with them to maximise the effectiveness of their care, support and treatment?"
- Assessing needs (including accessibility and communication needs)
- Person-centred approach
- Care planning
- Assessment tools
PRSB-conformant care plans with About Me; native, scored assessment tools; automatic review cycles before a plan goes out of date.
KLOE 2Evidence-based care and equitable outcomes
"Is care, support and treatment delivered in line with legislation, evidence-based standards and good practice, to achieve equitable and good outcomes?"
- Good practice guidance and standards
- Equitable outcomes
- Monitoring and improving individual outcomes
- Nutrition and hydration
- Service accreditation schemes
Care plans built on recognised guidance; outcome tracking and trends; nutrition, hydration and fluid monitoring.
KLOE 3Supporting people to live healthier lives
"Are people encouraged and supported to manage their own health and wellbeing?"
- Health and wellbeing deterioration and prevention
- Supporting access to healthcare services
- Healthier lives promotion
- Keeping well in hot or cold weather
Health-action and appointment tracking; a healthcare-access log; wellbeing goals on the care plan; seasonal-risk prompts.
KLOE 4Consent to care and treatment
"Are people supported to understand and exercise their right to consent to care, support and treatment?"
- Consent
- Advocacy and support
- Communicating rights
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
Consent recording; capacity assessments and best-interest decisions; DoLS tracking; advocacy details held on the record.
Every KLOE across all five Key Questions — with the verbatim inspector question and full scope — is on the all 24 KLOEs reference.
The plan that keeps up is the evidence.
Effective is won in the care plan. FlexiEle keeps assessments scored and trended, brings reviews round on their own before a plan goes stale, and tracks outcomes against goals set with the person.
The result is a care plan that genuinely describes the person today — and that, to an inspector, is what effective care looks like.
- Holistic assessments and PRSB-conformant care plans
- Scored assessment tools, trended over time
- Outcomes tracked against goals set with the person
- Nutrition, hydration and healthcare-access records
- Consent and Mental Capacity Act decisions
- Each filed to the right Effective KLOE, as it happens.
See your Effective evidence, mapped.
Book a 20-minute demo and we'll walk the four Effective KLOEs against a service like yours — assessments, outcomes, consent. No slides, no pressure.