The reintroduction of formal assurance for adult social care is one of the most significant changes in the landscape since the Care Act came into force. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is now responsible for assessing how well local authorities are meeting their duties under Part 1 of the Act. As a DASS, this change brings both challenge and opportunity: challenge in terms of scrutiny and accountability; opportunity to drive improvement, assert leadership, and demonstrate what good looks like in your local context.
For the first time since 2010, councils will be subject to external assessment of their performance in adult social care. This follows reforms set out in the Health and Care Act 2022 and the introduction of the CQC’s Single Assessment Framework (SAF). The framework brings together a set of quality statements, evidence categories and inspection methods that will be used across health and social care settings, including local authorities.
This new regime is not a return to the old CSCI days—but it is a formal and published judgement. While the CQC is focused on how councils meet their statutory duties under the Care Act, the implications go beyond compliance. It is a test of leadership, system maturity, and how well you work with people, providers, and partners.
The CQC assurance process will evaluate how your local authority delivers adult social care across four main themes:
- Working with people
- Providing support
- Ensuring safety
- Leadership
As DASS, you are at the centre of all four. Your role is to:
- Lead the self-assessment and narrative—framing your story and evidencing impact.
- Co-produce the response with partners, providers, carers, and people who draw on care.
- Ensure robust performance and data infrastructure is in place.
- Create a culture of reflection and improvement, not just inspection-readiness.
CQC has stated that the process will rely on triangulation—testing what councils say (self-assessment), what people say (lived experience), and what the data says (performance). As such, the inspection is a test of coherence as much as compliance.
There is no single route to success, but key enablers include:
- A clear and evidence-based self-assessment, rooted in outcomes and the voice of people.
- Case studies and impact stories that show not just what you do, but what difference it makes.
- System-wide engagement, with elected members, ICS partners, and providers on board.
- Reliable data and insight systems, supported by your analysts and QA functions.
- A confident Principal Social Worker and senior team who can speak to practice, performance, and values.
Importantly, this isn’t a one-off event. It’s part of an ongoing cycle of improvement, accountability, and public trust.
The assurance framework must be more than a regulatory tick-box—it should be a catalyst for change. Use the process to:
- Deepen local conversations about what matters to people.
- Surface systemic challenges and risks—particularly around workforce, inclusion, and integration.
- Reinvest in quality assurance, learning, and reflective practice.
- Position adult social care as a valued, visible, and proactive system leader.
This is a moment for leadership. As DASS, your role is not simply to respond to inspection—but to own the story, shape the agenda, and lead with honesty, clarity and ambition.
CQC assurance is not the ceiling of your work—it is the floor. Use it as a platform to keep improving.