Worcestershire County Council has been praised for its approach to adult social care.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the council as ‘good’ in meeting its duties under the Care Act 2014 following a three-day inspection in November 2025.
The CQC’s assessment focused on how well the council supports people to access care, promotes independence and wellbeing, and works with communities and partner organisations.
Chris Badger, CQC chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said: “During our assessment of Worcestershire County Council, we found a local authority showing many areas of good practice in how they provided adult social care.
“This was reflected in our conversations with people and unpaid carers who gave consistently positive feedback about their interactions with staff.
“Staff spent time getting to know what was important to people to help them get the support they needed.
“The local authority had a clear commitment to supporting people to remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible, and staff used a wide range of community support to help achieve this.
“This support included early short-term support and assistive technologies.”
The inspection reviewed nine areas, including leadership, safeguarding, partnerships, and the experience of people using the service.
Worcestershire County Council scored highly across all areas, with the CQC noting particularly strong performance in person-centred care, partnership working, and its focus on helping people stay independent for as long as possible.
Mark Fitton, strategic director for adults and communities at Worcestershire County Council, said: “This is a fantastic result for Worcestershire and, most importantly, for the people who rely on our services to lead a meaningful life.
“It is hugely encouraging to see that residents are receiving high-quality, person-centred support that reflects what matters to them, supports their independence and helps them achieve their own goals.”
The CQC report did identify areas for improvement.
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These included better access to services in rural communities, strengthening communication for people transitioning between services, improving equity for under-represented groups, and expanding respite options for unpaid carers.
Mr Fitton said: “While we are proud of this recognition, our focus remains firmly on the future.
“We welcome the inspectors’ recommendations and are already taking forward an action plan to build on our strengths and continue improving.”
