How is the CQC assessing local authorities?

How is the CQC assessing local authorities now that they have been given new assessment powers?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on CQC

The Health and Care Act 2022 gives the CQC new powers that allow them to provide a meaningful and independent assessment of care at a local authority and integrated care system level. These powers will enable the CQC to start to understand the quality of care in a local area or system and provide independent assurance to the public of the quality of care in their area.

When assessing local authorities and integrated care systems they will use a new single assessment framework. Although this will be used in the same way as when assessing providers, the approach will be tailored carefully to the specific context.

The single assessment framework uses quality statements, which have been developed with people who use services and are based on people’s experiences and the standards of care they expect. The quality statements show what is needed to deliver high-quality, person-centred, care and are commitments that providers, commissioners and system leaders should live up to. To assess local authorities and integrated care systems, the CQC will use a subset of the quality statements. 

Local authority assessments

The CQC want to ensure operational colleagues are going out to visit local authorities as part of the assessment process. To make sure their assessments are as effective as possible, they expect to implement them as follows.

April to September 2023

From 1 April the CQC will start to review data and published documentary evidence across all local authorities, focusing on themes in these two quality statements:

• Care provision, integration and continuity.
• Assessing needs.

They will also look at themes and insight on:

• access;
• commissioning;
• market shaping;
• workforce;
• personalisation.

Data and evidence will not be published at individual local authority level; instead, the CQC will use its independent voice to publish data at an overall national level as a collection of evidence – for example, in the annual statutory State of Care report to parliament.

This national review will be the first element towards a full assessment of these two quality statements. It will constitute the first steps in developing judgements for individual authorities and will also provide valuable context and an opportunity to benchmark data.

September to December 2023

Assessing local authorities is a new duty for CQC. Before they can move to ongoing assessments, an initial formal assessment needs to be completed for all local authorities to establish a starting point. The CQC will, therefore, start formal assessments in September, and aim to carry out up to 20 assessments between September and December. Following this, they will then work with local authorities and others on the best way to publish findings from these pilots.

Early 2024 onwards

From early 2024 onwards the CQC will carry out further formal assessments and report on the findings. The government has also asked them to publish individual ratings for local authorities following the pilots and assessments. In order to do this, the CQC will work with local authorities and DHSC to inform how the findings and ratings will be published. This approach will enable the CQC to build up a national picture by using their independent assessment expertise credibly and consistently.