We are delighted that Andrea Sutcliffe, our Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in recognition for her achievements and public service spanning over thirty years.
Andrea Sutcliffe CBE, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), said: "I feel incredibly lucky and very grateful to be honoured in this way. Really, it is a tribute to the dedication and commitment of my team and colleagues at CQC who work so hard to improve the quality of life of people using adult social care services, their families and carers. I would like to thank everyone at CQC for making this possible and my husband David, my Mum and Dad, family and friends for their support, love and understanding.
"Adult social care is a vital but often misunderstood and undervalued service. It has the potential to positively transform people's lives but poor care can have such a devastating impact. My passion and determination to speak up for people's rights, celebrate great care and make a difference so that all services meet the Mum Test remains as necessary and as strong as ever."
Andrea joined CQC in October 2013 where she leads on the regulation and inspection of adult social care services in England, including care homes and domiciliary care. Earlier this year, she led the completion of the initial round of comprehensive inspections of these services which for the first time, led to ratings of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate.
Also, Andrea is responsible for the registration team supporting all health and care sectors.
In collaboration with many others, Andrea played a key role in the development of Quality Matters; the adult social care sector wide commitment to quality, which launched in July 2017.
Prior to becoming Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, Andrea was Chief Executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and before that, Chief Executive of the Appointments Commission.
Sir David Behan, Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission, said: "I am delighted that Andrea’s contribution to public services and specifically to the quality and safety of adult social care has been recognised by this richly deserved honour. I am proud Andrea works for CQC where her leadership has been exemplary."
Biography of Andrea Sutcliffe
Andrea was born in Bradford and grew up in Darlington attending Harrowgate Hill Primary School, Longfield Road Comprehensive School and Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, then studied History at the London School of Economics. Andrea's first experiences in health and social care were as a volunteer in the Darlington Gateway club supporting people with learning disabilities and a university holiday job as a hospital cleaner in North London.
Andrea started her career in health and social care in Tower Hamlets Health Authority in 1986 and subsequent roles included managing Older People's Services in Camden and Islington and Children and Women's Services at St. George's Hospital in South London. She was an Assistant Director in the Social Services Department of the London Borough of Camden before she moved in 2000 to what was then the National Institute of Clinical Excellence as Planning and Resources Director. Andrea left NICE in 2007 to become Chief Executive of the Appointments Commission and later Chief Executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence in 2012.
Andrea joined CQC as Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in October 2013. She led the transformation of the regulation of adult social care, championing the Mum Test - asking the question: is this a service I would be happy for my Mum or anyone I love to use?
Completing the initial round of comprehensive inspections of adult social care services in 2017, Andrea has established herself as a respected leader in the sector, promoting excellence in care, encouraging services to improve and challenging poor care. In 2017, Andrea played an important role in the development of Quality Matters, the sector-wide commitment to quality. She is an advocate for the power of social media to engage, inform and learn tweeting regularly as @Crouchendtiger7.
I am delighted that Andrea’s contribution to public services and specifically to the quality and safety of adult social care has been recognised by this richly deserved honour. I am proud Andrea works for CQC where her leadership has been exemplary.
Sir David Behan, CQC Chief Executive