Eight councils face CQC scrutiny after adequate rating

Eight councils will face added scrutiny from the Care Quality Commission over the coming year after receiving an adequate rating in this year’s annual performance assessment.

They are Bromley, Cornwall, Peterborough, Poole, Solihull, South Tyneside, Southwark and Surrey.

The eight have been categorised as “priority for improvement” councils and as a result will face closer engagement from CQC’s area managers and Department of Health regional officers, who will help provide expert advice to drive improvement.

Cornwall and Surrey were priority for improvement councils last year; 16 others authorities were deemed to have made sufficient improvement this year to come out of that category.

Of the remainder, Poole and Peterborough are the only two to receive a ‘poor’ rating in any of the seven outcome areas that councils are judged against, with both scoring in the bottom category for maintaining dignity and respect for users and carers.

Southwark, which was rated excellent last year, has issued a robust challenge to the CQC over an assessment it described as “flawed” and “inaccurate”, though the regulator has stood by its verdict on the south London borough.

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