A report providing the Committee outlining the introduction of a new assurance regime for Local Authority Adult Social Care Services which is due to be introduced from 2023.

The Executive Director of Social Care and Health submitted a report on the introduction of a new assurance regime for Local Authority Adult Social Care Services which was due to be introduced from 2023. This would expand the remit of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to oversee the quality and performance of both Local Authorities and Integrated Care Systems (ICS) alongside the existing inspection responsibilities they held for providers of regulated activity.

The report explained that, as part of the wider reforms to health and social care, the government had announced in February 2021 that a new duty would be introduced through the Health and Care Act, in which the CQC would become responsible for assessing the delivery of adult social care duties by Local Authorities.  The new system would come into effect in April 2023 and would put Adult Social Care services on a similar basis to Children’s Services, in which local authorities were subject to regular inspection by Ofsted and government intervention if they were deemed ‘inadequate’.

CQC annual assessments of Local Authorities had been ceased in 2010, since which Councils had worked together to support their own performance through sector-led improvement programmes, in partnership with bodies such as the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS).

The report gave details of progress on developing the new system, noting that a period of detailed piloting of the methodologies was under way in pilot sites, the approaches and methodologies were expected to be agreed by CQC Executives in July 2022 and the Department for Health and Social Care was expected to agree the final approach in August 2022.  It stated that there were also plans to introduce a new power for the Health and Social Care Secretary to intervene when it was considered that a local authority was failing to meet its duties.

The new CQC framework would assess providers, local authorities and ICSs using the following themes:

• How local authorities work with people
• How local authorities provide support
• How local authorities ensure safety within the system
• Leadership capability within local authorities

The report gave details of the planning and preparation being carried out in adult social care for the new system.

Resolved –

(1)      That the new Adult Social Care Assurance system, which would come into effect in April 2023, be noted;

(2)      That the planning and preparation under way for the new system be endorsed;

(3)      That a further report on progress of the development of the new system be submitted to the Committee at its meeting on 19 January 2023, prior to the system coming into effect.