The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published further details on the next phase of its local authority assessment programme, following the completion of its initial “baselining” work across England.

The update focuses less on changing the assessment framework itself, and more on how assessments will now be carried out in practice.

What’s Changing?

One of the biggest developments is the introduction of “local authority assurance meetings”. According to CQC, these meetings are intended to help inspectors better understand the context local authorities are working within, alongside the impact on people using services and unpaid carers.

CQC has also updated some of its evidence-gathering processes, including renaming:

• “case tracking” to “understanding people’s experiences”
• “case sampling” to “sampling people’s experiences”

The regulator says these changes were made following feedback from councils and stakeholders around clarity and language.

There is also revised guidance around communication during assessments, feedback meetings, and factual accuracy checks on draft reports.

What Local Authorities Can Expect

Under the updated process, assessments will begin with an information return request, followed by evidence gathering, engagement work, and site visits.

The CQC says:

• local authorities will have 2 weeks to complete the information return
• comprehensive assessments will usually involve 6–8 weeks’ notice before a site visit
• assessments are expected to take around 19 weeks, excluding report publication time

The regulator has confirmed it is beginning to issue notifications of assessment during May.

Why This Matters

While the announcement is aimed primarily at local authorities, it also gives providers insight into the direction of travel for adult social care regulation more broadly.

The continued emphasis on lived experience, unpaid carers, evidence gathering, and ongoing assessment reflects CQC’s wider move towards more continuous and relationship-based oversight.

For providers, this is another reminder of the importance of:

• strong documentation
• clear governance processes
• partnership working
• being able to evidence outcomes and quality consistently

You can read the full CQC announcement here.