The Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission of Leicester Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday 25 June 2026. The agenda includes reviewing progress on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) action plan and discussing performance ambitions for the fourth quarter of 2025-26. The meeting will also consider the commission's work programme.

Care Quality Commission Assessment: Action Plan Update

The commission is scheduled to receive an update on the progress made against the action plan developed following the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) assessment of the council's adult social care functions in March 2025. The report, submitted by Strategic Director Laurence Jones and Director Ruth Lake, is expected to detail the status of priority actions across several key areas.

These priority areas are expected to include:

• Improving the experience of carers: Actions focused on establishing a Carers Oversight Board, commissioning a peer review, and developing a comprehensive carers improvement plan. Progress noted is expected to include the establishment of the board and the completion of the peer review, with a carers improvement plan now developed. The impact highlighted is expected to include increased carer involvement in the Carers Strategy and the launch of a new carer website.
• Accessible and improved information, advice and guidance: Key actions are expected to involve improving access points for Leicester's diverse communities, reviewing content, and ensuring advocacy is sufficiently covered. Progress reported is expected to include the introduction of translation functionality on the corporate website and the referencing of advocacy in practice guidance and mandatory training.
• Waiting Times and Timeliness: The agenda is expected to include updates on establishing consistent recording systems, understanding and addressing inequities in waiting times, reducing waiting times overall, and implementing provider-led reviews. Progress reported is expected to include the establishment of a Timeliness Group and a Reviews Group, improved data recording, and efforts to reduce waiting lists for occupational therapy and overdue reviews.
• Data and Governance: Actions are expected to aim to improve the governance, quality, and management of operational data. A Performance Programme Board is expected to have been established, and client-level data requirements are expected to have been reviewed with staff guidance and training delivered.
• Safeguarding: The commission is expected to be updated on providing detailed guidance at team level, ensuring learning from reviews is embedded, completing safeguarding-specific practice audits, and exploring pathway improvements for referrals and feedback from care providers. The recruitment of a Safeguarding Adults Practice Lead is noted as a key development.
• Care Markets and Quality: Actions are expected to focus on addressing market gaps and quality improvement. Progress reported is expected to include the expansion of respite provision and work to scope providers offering culturally appropriate services.

The report is expected to indicate that most actions are progressing well, with some already complete, and that the impact on service users and carers will become more evident as actions are embedded.

Priorities and Performance Ambitions Q4 2025-26

The commission is also scheduled to receive a presentation on the Social Care and Education Department's performance in Quarter 4 of 2025-26, outlining priorities and performance ambitions. This presentation, led by Director Laurence Mackie-Jones, is part of a pilot to refine the reporting format for the upcoming 2026-27 and 2027-28 framework.

The presentation is expected to cover thirteen key priorities, including:

• Post-Ofsted ILACS Improvement Plan: Progress on improving services for children and young people.
• Post-Adult Social Care CQC Improvement Plan: Updates on actions to address CQC findings.
• Post-HMIP Youth Justice Improvement Plan: Progress in youth justice services.
• Post-Area SEND Inspections Improvement Plan: Developments in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision.
• Developing Leading Better Lives: Initiatives for early intervention and community support.
• Delivering locality Family Help: Progress in establishing family support teams.
• Financial grip: Efforts to manage finances and deliver best value.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Development of an EDI maturity matrix and action plan.
• School place sufficiency and SEND Capital Programme: Planning for school places and SEND infrastructure.
• Children's residential provision and adult supported living: Strategies for care provision.
• Performance culture: Developing a departmental culture focused on performance.
• Quality assurance processes: Establishing consistent methodologies.
• Technology and AI: Making digital tools available to practitioners.
• SEND partnership plans: Reviewing and delivering on new government SEND strategy.
• Preparing for adulthood and transition to adult services: Refining plans for young people moving to adult care.
• Local Government Reorganisation: Preparing for potential organisational changes.

The presentation is expected to include performance data against key indicators, such as waiting times for assessments and reviews, uptake of direct payments, accessibility of information, and the number of children in care.

Work Programme

The commission is also scheduled to consider its work programme for 2026-27, as outlined in Appendix F of the reports pack. This is expected to include planned items such as updates on supported housing, young carers, workforce reports, dementia care, and the implications of the Employment Rights Act 2025. The work programme is also noted to include potential future items, including further updates on the CQC improvement plan, adult supported living, and neighbourhood teams.