Meet your new visiting rights duties — without the complexity.
Regulation 9A now requires small care providers to evidence family access and communication. KinBridge makes it simple, affordable, and CQC-ready.
The Department of Health and Social Care has strengthened enforcement of Regulation 9A visiting rights. The CQC will now actively monitor visiting compliance, and ministers are exploring legislation to enshrine a legal right to a named 'Care Supporter' for every resident. Blanket visiting restrictions are explicitly targeted as unacceptable.
"No one should be separated from their loved ones unnecessarily. Contact with family and friends should not be seen as a luxury but a basic part of good care." — Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Care
Reg 9A audit trail
Family circle access
Secure & invite-only
CQC inspection ready
Affordable for small homes
See it in action
How KinBridge Works in a Small Care Home
Watch how KinBridge can help you to keep families connected, meet their Regulation 9A duties, and give CQC inspectors the evidence they need.
KinBridge for Small Care Providers
A short walkthrough — how KinBridge helps you communicate with families and meet Regulation 9A
Approx. 3 minutes
Understanding your obligations
What Regulation 9A Means for Small Care Providers
Before this change, family communication was a nice-to-have. Now it's a CQC compliance requirement. Here's what small care homes need to demonstrate.
Documented Visit Records
CQC inspectors will now look for evidence that visiting activity is recorded and accessible. Paper logs and informal notes are no longer sufficient.
- Timestamped record of every family visit
- Named visitor and resident logged
- Audit trail available for inspection
- Accessible without scrambling for paperwork
Families as Equal Partners
The regulation explicitly requires families to be informed and involved — not just allowed to visit. They must be treated as active participants in care decisions.
- Families kept up to date in real time
- Communication visible and traceable
- No decisions made without family awareness
- Relatives can engage, not just receive news
Restriction Justification
If a visit is cancelled or restricted, you must be able to show the reason. Blanket restrictions are now explicitly unlawful without documented justification.
- Every restriction logged with a reason
- Evidence available if challenged by CQC
- Protects your home as well as residents
- Clear decision trail reduces complaints
Named Care Supporter Ready
Incoming legislation will give every resident the legal right to a named 'Care Supporter' with protected visiting access. KinBridge already supports this model.
- Designated family member roles built-in
- Named access rights per resident
- Ready for the Care Supporter legislation
- Get ahead before the law requires it
KinBridge & Regulation 9A
How KinBridge Meets Every Requirement
KinBridge was built to help real families stay connected with their loved ones in care. It turns out that's exactly what Regulation 9A demands.
| What CQC will look for | How KinBridge delivers it |
|---|---|
| Documented record of all family visits | ✓ Timestamped visit log with named visitors |
| Families informed and involved in care | ✓ Family circle with real-time updates and communication |
| Justification for any visiting restrictions | ✓ Restriction logging with notes field for every decision |
| Named trusted contact per resident | ✓ Named Care Circle role — Care Supporter ready |
| Families treated as partners, not visitors | ✓ Active family roles with defined permissions |
| CQC-inspectable visit activity records | ✓ Full audit trail accessible at any time |
| Transparent access to decision-making process | ✓ Visit history visible to family circle members |
Built for small care homes
No Complexity. No IT Team Required.
Large care software is built for large care groups. KinBridge is different — designed specifically for small, independent care providers who need something that works without a training programme.
Without KinBridge
What small providers are managing today
- Paper visitor books with no audit trail
- WhatsApp groups — no record, no control
- Families chasing staff for updates
- Scattered notes when CQC arrives
- No justification trail for restrictions
- Regulation 9A exposure at every inspection
With KinBridge
What KinBridge replaces it with
- Digital visit log — always audit-ready
- Invite-only family space — private and controlled
- Families updated without calling the office
- Complete visit history ready for inspection
- Restriction reasons logged automatically
- CQC confidence — built into your daily workflow
Getting started
CQC-Ready in Three Steps
You don't need an IT team, a consultant, or months of onboarding. KinBridge is set up in under 48 hours — and your families can start connecting immediately.
Set up your care home on KinBridge
Add your residents and their profiles. Use pseudonyms if preferred — KinBridge is designed to minimise unnecessary data risk. No clinical records required.
Invite family members to their loved one's circle
Each resident gets their own family circle. You invite members by email — they access via a simple one-time PIN. No passwords, no accounts to manage.
Log visits, updates, and communications as you go
As your team logs visits and sends family updates through KinBridge, a complete Regulation 9A audit trail builds automatically — ready whenever CQC comes knocking.
"The government has confirmed what good care homes have always known — family connection isn't a luxury, it's fundamental to good care. KinBridge helps you demonstrate that every single day."
— KinBridge, built for UK care providersImportant note
- KinBridge is a family communication and coordination tool, not a clinical care management system.
- KinBridge is NOT a substitute for legal or compliance advice. For specific Regulation 9A guidance, consult CQC guidance or your sector body.
- KinBridge supports your Regulation 9A compliance journey — but you remain responsible for your home's regulatory obligations.
Get ahead of Regulation 9A — today.
Join small care providers already using KinBridge to keep families connected and stay CQC-ready.