Havering Council's adult social care services have been rated 'requires improvement' by the Care Quality Commission following an inspection carried out in August 2025.

The CQC found a number of significant weaknesses. The council could not provide data showing how quickly care and support began after assessments were completed, meaning it could not demonstrate whether people were receiving help in a timely way, though a system upgrade is planned to address this.

People's experiences of safeguarding were mixed, with some saying staff did not clearly explain the process or offer advocacy, leaving them uncertain about outcomes. The CQC also found that frontline staff did not always understand mental health referral procedures.

Inspectors further found that the council lacked effective oversight of safeguarding enquiries carried out by the mental health trust, with no quality assurance framework in place. Co-production was also found to be underdeveloped, with people and partners feeling consulted rather than genuinely involved in shaping services.

Chris Badger, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said the watchdog found a ‘mixed picture’ at the council.

‘Adult social care was clearly a priority for the local authority, and leaders continued to prioritise it despite significant financial pressures. However, staffing pressures in some frontline teams were affecting the timeliness of support for people,’ he said.

The rating was published this week before the current Reform UK administration took control of the council in May 2026.

Leader of the Reform UK-run council Keith Prince AM said the new administration was ‘deeply disappointed’, blaming years of underinvestment by predecessors.

‘It is clear from this outcome that the previous Havering Residents Association administration, along with other administrations before that, bottled it when it came to making difficult decisions,’ he said.

An improvement plan will go before Cabinet ‘as quickly as possible’, he added.