Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

A legal entity, or a sub-set of a legal entity, which may provide health and social care; it may operate on one or more sites. This definition covers Local Authorities with social care responsibilities working in cooperation with an NHS Health Care Provider on nationally targeted and prioritised care as delivered within Care Spells. Lead responsibility for such care may be solely led by one Health Care Provider or jointly shared by two or more Health Care Providers each of which must share equal responsibility. The following ORGANISATIONS may act as Health Care Providers: -GP Practice -NHS Trust -NHS Foundation Trust -Registered non-NHS Provider (e.g. Independent Provider, Independent Sector Healthcare Provider etc) -Unregistered non-NHS Provider -Care Trust -Local Authorities with social care responsibilities -Other agencies

A provider organisation, registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide community adult care services, which directly employs care workers to provide personal care and support in a person's home.

The CQC regularly refers to "care providers" as the legal entity carrying on a regulated activity. Providers can be an individual, a partnership or an organisation. Providers in the adult social care sector include care homes, home care companies, specialist colleges, extra care housing, Shared Lives schemes and supported living services.

The Digitising Social Care Glossary definition of "Care provider" is based on the NHS Data Dictionary definition of "Health Care Provider". This is not an accurate definition of the full scope of care providers registered with the CQC.