West Midlands ADASS has been working since 2023 with all 14 councils in our region to support them with preparations for CQC inspection.
All councils were assessed as part of CQC's baselining year which completed in autumn 2025, and changes have been made to the inspection process following this year of learning - see here Local authority assessment guidance - Care Quality Commission
As of June 2026, when the last report for a council in the West Midlands was published, we have 12 councils rated "Good" and two rated "Requires Improvement" with an average regional score of 67.3% - the highest regional average score across ADASS regions following the first year of inspection.
All published CQC reports can be found here Local authority assessment reports - Care Quality Commission
With the new process, councils can now expect an "Annual Conversation" to take place with CQC, as well as either a targeted or comprehensive inspection (the timescales of which depend on various factors with a maximum of up to four years).
The table below from WM ADASS Data Hub shows the profile of ratings against CQC quality statements as at summer 2026.
Support for councils
West Midlands ADASS continues to provide support to councils on CQC. It offers a light-touch, peer-led menu of support designed to help councils prepare, reflect and learn from each other. It is based on the following principles:
- Supportive not performative.
- Tailored to local circumstances.
- Focused on reflection and improvement.
- Built on peer support and shared learning.
- Designed to minimise additional burden on host councils.
The support is not static and can be tailored to council's circumstances but typically includes
Universal support (all councils)
- CQC Leads Network meeting regularly to share intelligence and provide peer-led support and improvement
- Access to the WM ADASS Data Hub to view published performance data and undertake benchmarking
- Thematic support where there are common learning opportunities across the region
Bespoke support (individual councils )
- Review of your self-assessment to "hold the mirror up"
- Practical support to help staff preparations
- Support with understanding your data and testing the story behind it
We work closely with other partners and regions to support CQC learning and improvement, including with the region's Care and Health Improvement Adviser.
We also work with other partners, such as the University of Birmingham on research activity relating to CQC assurance and co-production. The outputs of this work will be available in autumn 2026.
The WM ADASS team supporting councils through the CQC assurance process is led by Helen Coombes. The sponsoring DASS is Hilary Hall.