Social Services: Local Government

Funding for adult social care is provided by the Government to local authorities as part of the local government finance settlement and various grants. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people.

In exercising these duties, local authorities should balance a range of relevant factors when considering the type of care provider they commission. They should encourage or deliver a range of different services to ensure people have a genuine choice of high-quality care services. Market decisions should be informed by considerations of population needs and market sustainability, with the aim of improving outcomes through high‑quality, personalised care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how local authorities in England are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating the sharing of good practice and helping us to target support where it is most needed. If the CQC identifies that a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has powers to intervene. All reports are published on the CQC’s website at the following link:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports