The Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee of Lambeth Council met on Wednesday 25 February 2026 to review updates on the Carers Strategy Action Plan, the Annual Performance Report for Adult Social Care, and the Care Quality Commission's assessment of Lambeth's Adult Social Care services. The committee also discussed its work programme for the upcoming year.

Update of the Carers Strategy Action Plan

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the Lambeth Carers Strategy 2024-2029. This strategy aims to support unpaid carers across the borough through a coordinated approach involving health and social care partners. The report highlighted achievements in the first year of implementation, focusing on seven key priorities: the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of carers; an integrated carers pathway and support offer; an equipped workforce; visibility, recognition, identification, and awareness of carers; empowering carers; promoting carer equity; and preventing financial hardship. Specific initiatives mentioned included discounted memberships at Active Lambeth sites for carers, an increase in the number of carers' assessments completed, and the successful implementation of the MyChart system at King's College Hospital to improve information access for patients and their carers. The report also detailed the Hospital Discharge Project, which aims to support carers during hospital stays and after discharge, and outlined plans for the second year of the strategy's implementation.

Annual Performance Report

The committee was set to review the Adult Social Care Activity and Performance Report for Lambeth Adult Social Care (ASC) for the 2024/25 period. This report provides an update on the service's performance, including national indicators and benchmarking comparisons. The report indicated that while the number of people receiving long-term support remained stable, there was an increase in requests for support and a notable rise in short-term reablement episodes. The report also highlighted improvements in the completion of reviews for individuals receiving services for 12 months or more, exceeding the London average. It noted an increase in demand for residential care placements for people with dementia and outlined ongoing actions to address market sufficiency. The report also detailed the ethnicity of service users, noting an overrepresentation of Black British individuals in long-term support compared to the Lambeth population, and discussed safeguarding concerns, which had seen a decrease.

Update - Care Quality Commission Assessment of Lambeth Adult Social Care

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment of Lambeth Adult Social Care, which concluded in October 2025. The report provided an overview of the assessment process, which evaluated Lambeth's performance against nine quality statements across four themes: Safe, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led. The CQC's final report, including an overall score and judgement, was anticipated to be published following a factual accuracy check. The report also touched upon the future of the CQC's assessment framework for local authorities, which was expected to be redesigned by April 2026. High-level verbal feedback from the CQC had acknowledged the dedication of Lambeth's workforce and their commitment to equity and inclusion.

Work Programme

The committee was due to consider and approve its work programme for the 2025-26 municipal year. This programme outlines the topics scheduled for scrutiny, with the aim of ensuring effective oversight of adult social care and health-related functions. The report detailed the committee's terms of reference, membership, and scheduled meeting dates. It also provided an action log of recommendations and actions arising from previous meetings, with updates on their progress. Potential future scrutiny items, such as the re-accreditation of the Sanctuary Seeking Service and recruitment and retention of the social care workforce, were also noted.