What The CQC’s Updated Approach to Assessing Local Authorities Means for Adult Social Care Providers
Last month, the Care Quality Commission published its updated approach to assessing local authorities.
The guidance, published on 8 April 2026, explains how CQC will assess whether local authorities are meeting their adult social care duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. While the update is aimed directly at councils, it is also relevant to the wider adult social care sector, including providers who work alongside local authorities.
What do local authorities do in adult social care?
In adult social care, local authorities are councils with responsibility for arranging and overseeing care and support for adults in their area.
Their role can include assessing people’s needs, arranging care, supporting unpaid carers, safeguarding adults, commissioning services and helping to make sure there is enough suitable care available locally.
For care providers, local authorities are often important partners. They may commission services, make referrals, monitor quality and work with providers to support people safely and effectively.
What CQC’s local authority assessment update includes
CQC has confirmed that it will continue to assess local authorities using 9 quality statements across 4 themes. These quality statements are now supported by rating characteristics, which help describe what care, support, governance, and leadership may look like at each judgement level.
The updated approach also places more emphasis on unpaid carers, people’s experiences and outcomes. CQC has said that issues affecting unpaid carers will be more prominent in its assessment activity, judgments, and reports.
CQC will also take a more flexible approach to assessments. This means it may carry out comprehensive assessments or more focused assessments, depending on the circumstances.
Why does this matter to care providers?
Although this update is about local authority assessments, it reflects a wider direction of travel across adult social care.
The focus is not simply on whether systems and processes exist. The emphasis is increasingly on whether those systems are working in practice, how they affect people’s experiences, and whether they lead to safe, effective and well-led care.
For care providers, this is important.
Providers may not be the direct subject of local authority assessments, but they are part of the wider care system. The quality of provider services, the strength of partnership working, the accuracy of records and the ability to evidence good outcomes can all contribute to how care is experienced locally.
Evidence matters
One of the clearest messages from CQC’s approach is the importance of evidence.
Good care is not just about having policies in place. Providers need to be able to show that policies are understood, followed and reviewed. They also need to show how care is being delivered in practice and how people are being supported to achieve better outcomes.
This might include evidence around:
- care planning and reviews
- safeguarding processes
- risk management
- staff training and supervision
- quality assurance
- complaints and learning
- partnership working
- feedback from people using the service and their families
- outcomes for people receiving care
Strong evidence helps providers demonstrate that they are not only meeting requirements but actively improving the quality and safety of their service.
Governance remains key
CQC’s update also highlights the importance of governance and leadership.
For providers, good governance means having clear oversight of what is happening within the service. It means knowing where the risks are, taking action when something needs improvement and making sure there is a clear audit trail of decisions, actions and outcomes.
When governance is weak, problems can be missed. When governance is strong, providers are better placed to identify concerns early, support staff properly and maintain safe, consistent standards of care.
A useful reminder for the wider sector
CQC’s updated approach to local authority assessments is a useful reminder that adult social care continues to be judged through the lens of accountability, lived experience and outcomes.
For providers, this is an opportunity to review current systems and ask:
Are our records clear and up to date?
Can we evidence the quality of care we provide?
Are our governance processes working in practice?
Do we learn from feedback, incidents and complaints?
Can we show the difference our care makes to people’s lives?
These are the questions that help build safer, stronger and more resilient care services.
How Fulcrum Care can help
At Fulcrum Care, we support adult social care providers with governance and compliance, CQC consultancy and mock inspections.
If you are unsure whether your current systems would stand up to closer scrutiny, speak to Fulcrum Care. We can help you review your compliance, strengthen your governance and feel more prepared.
Whether you are preparing for inspection, reviewing your current systems or looking to strengthen your evidence and oversight, we can help you understand where you are, what needs attention and how to move forward with confidence.
If you are unsure whether your current systems would stand up to closer scrutiny, speak to Fulcrum Care.
We can help you review your compliance, strengthen your governance and feel more prepared for the expectations placed on today’s care providers.