Somerset Council is already taking action to address areas for improvement identified in a report published today (5 June) by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The CQC is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. In September 2025, they looked at nine areas spread across four themes to assess how well Somerset Council is meeting its responsibilities in adult social care.
These themes are:
- How the local authority works with people
- Providing support
- How the local authority ensures safety in the system
- Leadership
Somerset Council was rated as ‘requires improvement’, with concerns raised about the timeliness of assessments and reviews, support for unpaid carers, and how the council uses data to drive improvement.
Since the assessment in September, the Council has continued to make significant progress across the areas identified, which include timeliness of assessments and reviews, support for unpaid carers, and how the council uses data to drive improvement.
Some of these improvements include:
- Commissioned a 24-hour self-service tool that helps carers find local support and carers’ groups quickly.
- Set up an oversight group to review the timeliness of assessments and reviews, prioritising those at greatest need.
- Using data to track trends and target resource and supporting people using self-directed and direct payments, which is above the England average.
The CQC also noted that Leaders and staff at Somerset Council know the areas where improvements are needed and are working to develop and embed improvement plans.
The report highlighted:
- Positive examples of innovation, including the Somerset’s use of village and community leaders as trusted local points of contact for people.
- Good provision of micro providers supporting people in rural areas and good use of direct payments. This approach helped reach people who might not otherwise engage with services and supported a more accessible and preventative ‘no wrong door’ model of access and support within communities.
Councillor Sarah Wakefield, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Adults Services, Housing and Homelessness said:
We are disappointed by the findings of the CQC’s assessment, but we want to reassure the people who use our services, their families and carers that our focus remains on ensuring people receive safe, high-quality support.
Despite the overall rating, we are encouraged that the report recognises areas of good practice and the dedication of our workforce.
We are fully committed to addressing the areas identified for improvement and are building on the progress we have already made since our assessment in September. Importantly, many of the areas identified by the CQC are already part of this work.
Looking to the future, we are working closely with partners, including the NHS, care providers, and the voluntary and community sector, to ensure that our services are joined up and focussed on what matters most to the people we support.
We would like to thank the many people, carers, staff and partners who contributed to the assessment.
