Havering Approves Adult Social Care Improvement Plan After CQC Concerns
Havering Council has approved a formal improvement plan after inspectors ruled that its adult social care services required improvement.
The plan was agreed by Cabinet on Wednesday 16 September and sets out how the council intends to respond to the Care Quality Commission’s findings.
The CQC assessment was undertaken in August 2025 and examined how effectively the authority met its responsibilities for adult social care.
Inspectors identified strengths in areas including leadership, reablement, occupational therapy, safeguarding and partnership working.
However, the council acknowledged that improvements were needed around waiting times, support for unpaid carers, the transition from children’s to adult services, and making sure residents can find the right information and support.
A dedicated CQC Delivery Board, chaired by the Director of Living Well and Ageing Well, will oversee the work each month. Senior adult social care officers will lead the different improvement workstreams.
The relevant Cabinet member will receive quarterly progress reports, while updates will also be presented to the People Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee.
Costed business cases are still being developed where the programme requires additional staff, improved data or changes to commissioning. Cabinet was told that the service was not waiting for those cases to be completed and had already started work using existing resources where possible.
Councillor Barry Mugglestone asked whether political representation could be added to the Delivery Board and whether a cross-party oversight body similar to one used for children’s services could be established.
Cabinet member Councillor Graham Day said he would be willing to join the board and would consider the proposal for wider cross-party involvement.
The administration said the assessment provided a snapshot of the service before the May 2026 election but accepted the findings and the need to demonstrate measurable improvement.
The council will now be judged on whether the actions produce shorter waits, clearer access to support and better outcomes for residents and unpaid carers.
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