Bexley Council adult social care rated ‘requires improvement’ by CQC
The regulator highlighted overdue care reviews and mixed performance across nine core areas, while noting strengths in needs assessment and partnership work.
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The Care Quality Commission announced that Bexley Council’s adult social‑care services now carry a ‘requires improvement’ rating. The assessment, part of the regulator’s statutory duty to review local authorities under the Care Act 2014, identified a number of areas where standards fall short of the expected level.
Assessment findings
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Inspectors examined nine core areas grouped under four themes, assigning each a score from one to four. Bexley achieved a score of three in assessing needs, supporting healthier lives, partnership and communities, and learning and innovation. The borough received a score of two in equity of experience, care provision and integration, safeguarding, governance and safe care pathways, indicating room for improvement.
"We found a local authority with several strengths to build on, alongside some areas where improvement is needed,"
Mary Cridge, director of adult social care, CQC
Mary Cridge, the CQC’s adult‑social‑care director, said the inspection revealed a mixed picture of how people experience services. While many users reported dignity and involvement in decisions, some still lacked copies of care plans and clear explanations of support options.
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The report noted that at the time of inspection 353 care reviews were overdue. Bexley Council has since reduced that figure to 281 as part of an improvement programme aimed at speeding up assessments and enhancing communication for people with reading or writing difficulties.
Council response and next steps
Bexley Council confirmed it has introduced measures to improve accessibility of information and to shorten waiting times for reviews. Council leaders said they understand the areas needing change and have already begun work to address them.
The full CQC assessment will be uploaded to the regulator’s website on Friday, 4 September 2026. Residents can review the detailed findings there and submit feedback through the council’s formal complaints procedure if they wish to raise specific concerns.
Questions this report answers
+What rating did the CQC give Bexley Council's adult social care?
The Care Quality Commission assigned a ‘requires improvement’ rating to Bexley Council’s adult social‑care services. This rating signals that the borough must make changes in several assessed areas to meet the standards set out in the Care Act 2014.
+How many care reviews were still overdue after the council’s reduction?
After the council’s initial actions, the number of overdue care reviews fell from 353 to 281. Those 281 reviews remain pending and are a key focus of the council’s ongoing improvement programme.
+When will the full CQC report be available to the public?
The complete CQC assessment will be published on the regulator’s website on Friday, 4 September 2026. The document will contain the full set of findings, scores and recommendations for Bexley Council.
+What steps is Bexley Council taking to address the CQC findings?
Bexley Council has introduced measures to improve the accessibility of information for service users and to reduce waiting times for care reviews. Leaders say they have already begun work on these priorities and will continue to monitor progress against the regulator’s recommendations.
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