The Care Quality Commission (CQC)
As of 2023 The Care Quality Commission are responsible for monitoring , inspecting and regulating all Local Council Adult Social Care Services and provisions and their quality of care.
CQC will inspect each local authority, this will be done in several ways including meeting with those who use services, meeting with partner organisations, meeting with providers, requesting specific information and data, as well as an in person 2-3 day inspection every 2-3 years.
Sefton Adult Social Care Inspection and Rating 2025
Sefton Council's first Adult Social Care inspection was completed late January 2025.
We are awaiting our report, official feedback and final rating from our inspection earlier in the year. Once we have received it, it will be published on The CQC official webpages as well as on this page.
This will include the full published report and a clear breakdown of our over all Adult Social Care inspection score.
The Care Quality Commission Approach
From September 2023 all local Council Adult Social Care services across the country will be assessed every two- three years by The Care Quality commission (CQC).
Councils will receive an overall rating up to 3 months after their inspection, the ratings can will result in the Adult Social Care services being deemed :
Outstanding
The service is performing exceptionally well - 88 to 100%
Good
The service is performing well and meeting our expectations -63 to 87%
Requires improvement
The service is not performing as well as it should and we have told the service how it must improve -39 to 62%
Inadequate
The service is performing badly and we've taken action against the person or organisation that runs it - 38% or lower.
How do CQC decide the result? What are Councils Scored on?
"Councils will be rated based on these areas. Each area gets a score from 1 to 4
1 = inadequate
2 = requires improvement
3 = good
4 = outstanding.
These scores are used to calculate the over all result.
- Assessing needs
- Supporting healthier lives
- Equity in experiences and outcomes
- Care provision, integration, and continuity
- Partnerships and communities
- Safe systems, pathways, and transitions
- Safeguarding
- Governance, management and sustainability
Assessments will include virtual checks, meetings,data gathering, face to face assessments and visits, with feedback from those who give and receive care.
The CQC Assessment focuses on four quality assurance themes. It looks at how local authorities:
- Work with people: Supporting them to live healthier lives with prevention, wellbeing, information, and advice.
- Provide support: Market shaping, commissioning, workforce equality, integration, and partnerships.
- Ensure safety: Safeguarding, safe systems, and continuity of care.
- Handle leadership and workforce: capable, compassionate leaders, learning, improvement, and innovation.
Find out more on how all local authorities are inspected and assessed by CQC
Documents
| Care Quality Commission Plan Easy Read |  (pdf 721KB) |
| About the CQC Easy Read | (pdf 1.97MB) |
| ASC preparing for CQC inspection | (pdf 137KB) |
| ASC Self Assessment Easy Read | (pdf 4.6MB) |