Report ‘lays bare significant challenges’ caused by CQC inspection model
12/02/2025 A Care Provider Alliance report has revealed the ‘significant challenges’ services have faced since the adoption of the CQC’s Single Assessment Framework. |
Care service outsourcing surges despite quality concerns
08/10/2024 The outsourcing of care services to private providers has ‘surged’ over the last two decades despite concerns over quality, a new study has found. |
Social care watchdog ‘not fit for purpose’
26/07/2024 The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the body responsible for regulating adult social care services, is ‘not fit for purpose’, the health secretary says. |
Council resists calls for leader to quit after critical SEND report
15/07/2024 West Northamptonshire Council has resisted calls for its head of children’s services to quit following a damning Ofsted and CQC report. |
Council told to tackle safeguarding backlog
14/06/2024 A Local Government Association peer challenge urged Cumberland Council to take immediate action on a ‘significant’ safeguarding backlog. |
Suffolk councillors resign over ‘widespread’ SEND failings
05/02/2024 Three councillors have resigned their posts at Suffolk CC after a damning report found there were ‘widespread’ failings affecting SEND outcomes. |
Regulator praises Bolton care service
08/01/2024 An inspection of Bolton Council’s home support reablement service has found it is effective, caring, and well led. |
New inspections require ‘significant’ work, pilot councils say
01/12/2023 Councils have reported spending 'a huge amount of time and energy' preparing for and undergoing the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) new adult social care assessments. |
CQC issues verdicts in pilot care assessments
21/11/2023 The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has completed assessments of adult social care at five councils under its pilot scheme. |
Lack of capacity hindering early help
07/11/2023 A lack of capacity is hindering early help services for children and families, a joint report by three watchdogs has found. |
Kent receives improvement notice for SEND failings
06/04/2023 An improvement notice has been issued to Kent CC after it failed to turn around its special educational needs and disability (SEND) services. |
Care home residents struggle to access NHS dental care
20/03/2023 The proportion of care home providers saying that people who use their services could 'never' access NHS dental care has increased fourfold, regulator finds. |
No extra social care funding for struggling councils
13/03/2023 A minister said councils would receive further support if they were found to be in need of improvement under new Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessments. |
Social care regulator staff vote for strike action
07/03/2023 Staff at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have voted to take strike action over pay, their union has announced. |
Sector given role in NHS plan
31/01/2023 Local government will join an ‘expert group’ with the community sector and care providers to ‘build adult social care capacity’ as part of a new NHS plan. |
Consultation for new SEND inspection framework launched
14/06/2022 Ofsted and the CQC have today launched a consultation on a new draft framework for inspecting local provision for children and young people with SEND. |
SEND children being left behind by council
31/08/2021 Children with special educational needs are being left behind by council services across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, inspectors have found. |
Councils 'broadly support' focus of Health and Care Bill
06/07/2021 Councils ‘broadly support’ the focus of the Health and Care Bill introduced into Parliament on improving the health and wellbeing of the population, says the Local Government Association (LGA). |
CQC launches new ‘dynamic and flexible’ strategy
27/05/2021 The health and social care regulator, Care Quality Commission (CQC), has launched a new strategy which places more of an emphasis on how well local health and care systems are working and addressing local challenges. |
MPs tell department to 'get a grip' on SEND
05/05/2020 The Department for Education (DfE) does not have a grip on mounting pressure in the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system, a watchdog has found. |
Union calls for Sanctuary Care homes to be brought ‘back in-house’
14/01/2020 Unite is urging councils who have contracts with Sanctuary Care to bring them ‘in-house’ after a criminal investigation was launched into one of its homes. |
Call for inspection pause in case of Brexit hit
10/04/2019 Council chiefs have urged Whitehall to be ready to ease pressures on the sector for up to six months if Brexit threatens to stretch capacity. |
Care home quality ‘worsens’ in a third of council areas
06/03/2019 The quality of care homes has worsened in more than a third of local authority areas over the last year, according to an elderly persons charity. |
Exclusive: Government must 'step up' on adult social care
28/02/2019 The council ranked the best at delivering most for the money it spends on adult social care has called on the Government to ‘step up’. |
Social care spending rises by £556m
25/10/2017 Spending by councils on social care rose by £556m in 2016/17 to £17.5bn - the first time it has risen in real terms since 2009/10, new figures have shown. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.