CQC heading to Herefordshire for Adult Social Care assessment

The CQC have notified Herefordshire Council that they are starting a routine assessment of the county’s adult social care services.

The initial phase of the assessment will be an ‘information return’ whereby council officers are asked to collect and submit a range of information and data, for return by Friday 2 May 2025.

In anticipation of the CQC assessment, and to improve the services we provide, the council has been asking service users for their experiences of adult social care through a range of questionnaires. The views of Herefordshire Council’s Adult Social Care staff will also be taken into account, as will feedback from partner organisations, care providers and carers.

The information phase will be followed by a site visit. The date of this visit is not yet known, but council officers will receive 6-8 weeks’ notice following information submission.

This follows the CQC’s new assurance processes that started in 2023. These aim to understand how well local authorities are performing against their legal duties, under the Care Act 2014. The CQC look at four key themes, including working with people, providing support, ensuring safety and leadership of Adult Social Care in the county. 

Councillor Carole Gandy, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, said: “We have been anticipating a visit from the CQC for some time now and are keen to showcase the abundance of positive work and great support happening across Herefordshire communities.  

“Herefordshire is a very special place in which to live and work and we are proud of the steps we take here that set us apart from other regions. For example, our effective partnership working to create the best support solutions and services for residents in the county.

“However, we are not complacent and are very open to the CQC assurance process and to learning from that experience in terms of where we need to focus to improve our services even further.”

The CQC will assign a rating based on the total score from both the information phase and site visit. The outcome of the inspection is expected to be notified to the council in late 2025/26.