The state of adult social care services 2014 to 2017 report published

In a national report published today, we've presented the findings from our comprehensive programme of adult social care inspections.

This is the first time such focused analysis on a national scale has been possible, following the introduction of our new regulatory regime for adult social care in October 2014.

Since then, we've carried out more than 33,000 inspections of around 24,000 different services. We've rated them as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate overall and under five key questions – whether they're safe, effective, caring and well-led – so that everyone is clear about our judgements.

These include residential homes, nursing homes, care in people’s own homes, Shared Lives schemes and supported living services. These are vital services for thousands of people, young and old, who may be living with a physical disability, learning disability, autism, dementia and/or mental health conditions.

Our report finds that while the majority of adult social care services are of a high quality and many are improving, too many people across England are receiving care in care homes and in their own home that is not good enough.

Without a proper recognition of the importance of adult social care and a renewed commitment to quality, the numbers of people affected by poor care could increase and have a profound impact on their lives.

Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission, said: "Having carried out over 33,000 inspections of around 24,000 different services, most of the adult social care sector is meeting the Mum Test, providing safe and high quality care that we would be happy for anyone we love, or ourselves, to receive. This is thanks to the thousands of dedicated staff and providers who work tirelessly to ensure people’s care is truly person-centred and meets their individual needs.

"However, there is still too much poor care, some providers are failing to improve, and there is even some deterioration.

"It appears to be increasingly difficult for some providers to deliver the safe, high quality and compassionate care people deserve and have every right to expect. With demand for social care expected to rise over the next two decades, this is more worrying than ever.

"Last October, CQC gave a stark warning that adult social care was approaching a tipping point. This was driven by more people with increasingly complex conditions needing care but in a challenging economic climate, facing greater difficulties in accessing the care they need.

"While this report focuses on our assessment of quality and not on the wider context, with the deterioration we are seeing in services rated as Good together with the struggle to improve for those with Inadequate and Requires Improvement ratings, the danger of adult social care approaching its tipping point has not disappeared. If it tips, it will mean even more poor care, less choice and more unmet need for people."