Adult Social Care Across England: What Has CQC Found?

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The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a national report examining how local authorities across England are meeting their adult social care responsibilities under the Care Act 2014.

Published on 14 July 2026, Local Authority Assessments 2023–2026: Emerging Themes and Findings brings together findings from CQC's first national programme of local authority assessments.

The report identifies examples of good practice, but also highlights significant differences in people's experiences of accessing care and support depending on where they live.

How Are Local Authorities Performing?

At the time the report was prepared, 143 local authority assessments had been published.

Of these:

·        60% were rated Good.

·        35% were rated Requires Improvement.

·        3% were rated Outstanding.

·        2% were rated Inadequate.

While the majority were rated Good, CQC identified considerable variation in how effectively local authorities were meeting people's needs.

The findings raise important questions about consistency, access to support and the experiences of people who rely on adult social care services.

Prevention: Supporting People Before a Crisis Develops

One of the strongest messages from the report is the importance of prevention.

Effective prevention involves identifying people's needs early and providing appropriate support before their circumstances deteriorate.

This might include reablement services, support following hospital discharge, equipment and adaptations, or helping people maintain their independence at home.

CQC found examples of local authorities working effectively with health services and community organisations. However, approaches to prevention were not consistently developed or embedded across all areas.

The message is clear: prevention should be a central part of adult social care, rather than something considered only when problems arise.

Safeguarding: The Importance of Working Together

Safeguarding was another important area examined by CQC.

Effective safeguarding requires local authorities, care providers, health professionals and other agencies to work together to identify and respond to risks of abuse or neglect.

The report highlights the importance of strong partnerships, clear responsibilities, effective information sharing and learning from safeguarding concerns.

For frontline care workers and managers, this reinforces the need to recognise potential concerns, report them promptly and understand their own responsibilities within local safeguarding arrangements.

Unpaid Carers: Are We Providing Enough Support?

The report also raises concerns about the experiences of unpaid carers.

Family members and friends provide an enormous amount of care and support, often alongside employment and other responsibilities.

CQC found that unpaid carers were not always identified early enough, and some struggled to access assessments or appropriate support.

In some areas, help was more readily available when a crisis occurred rather than being offered proactively.

Inspectors also highlighted difficulties accessing flexible short breaks and the importance of planning for situations where an unpaid carer may suddenly become unable to continue providing support.

These findings are particularly relevant to social care professionals, who are often well placed to recognise when family carers may be struggling.

Inequalities in Accessing Care and Support

CQC identified differences in how effectively local authorities understood and responded to the needs of different communities.

Barriers included difficulties accessing information, communication needs and a lack of services tailored to people's individual circumstances.

Although many authorities demonstrated a commitment to equality and inclusion, this did not always translate into consistent improvements in people's experiences.

Person-centred care requires more than recognising that people have different needs. Services must be accessible, responsive and capable of adapting their support accordingly.

What Does This Mean for Adult Social Care?

Although CQC's report focuses on local authorities, many of its findings have implications for care homes, home care services, supported living and other adult social care settings.

Care providers have an important role in recognising changes in people's needs, promoting independence, supporting unpaid carers and raising safeguarding concerns.

Effective communication and partnership working are essential, particularly when people move between services or require additional support.

The report demonstrates that there is good practice across England, but also that people's experiences of adult social care remain inconsistent.

Ultimately, the quality of adult social care should not depend on where someone lives. Ensuring people receive timely, safe and person-centred support must remain a priority for everyone involved in planning, commissioning and delivering care.

Source

Care Quality Commission (14 July 2026)

Local Authority Assessments 2023–2026: Emerging Themes and Findings