Havering Approves Adult Social Care Improvement Plan Following CQC Concerns, Havering 2026

Key Points

• Formal Approval: Havering Council’s Cabinet formally approved an improvement plan on Wednesday 16 September following an assessment by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
• Assessment Rating: The CQC inspection, conducted in August 2025, determined that the borough’s adult social care services required improvement to meet statutory standards.
• Identified Strengths: The independent assessment highlighted strong performance in leadership, reablement, occupational therapy, safeguarding, and multi-agency partnership working.
• Key Areas for Reform: Council leaders acknowledged required changes around assessment waiting times, support provision for unpaid carers, transitional pathways from children’s to adult services, and public access to information.
• Governance Structure: A dedicated CQC Delivery Board, chaired by the Director of Living Well and Ageing Well, will meet monthly alongside quarterly progress reporting to Cabinet and scrutiny committees.
• Funding and Execution: Service leaders confirmed that implementation has commenced immediately using existing council resources, while formal costed business cases are drawn up for additional staffing, data systems, and commissioning changes.
• Political Oversight: Cabinet member Councillor Graham Day agreed to join the board and evaluate proposals from Councillor Barry Mugglestone regarding formal cross-party oversight.

Havering (East London Times) September 19, 2026 — Havering Council has formally agreed to an extensive improvement strategy for its adult social care directorate following an independent judgment by health and social care regulators indicating that local provision required significant enhancement.

Why Has Havering Council Agreed to an Adult Social Care Improvement Plan?

The decision follows an official review conducted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in August 2025, which evaluated how effectively the local authority carried out its statutory obligations under social care legislation. While the independent inspectorate recognized high operational standards across several core functions—specifically commending the executive leadership, safeguarding procedures, reablement initiatives, occupational therapy services, and inter-agency partnerships—it concluded that overall provision required improvement.

In response to the regulatory findings, the local authority drafted a comprehensive recovery framework. During the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 16 September, executive members evaluated the detailed findings and formally ratified the proposed improvement program to address systemic shortcomings identified within the local care infrastructure.

What Are the Key Weaknesses Identified in the CQC Assessment?

Although inspectors praised frontline personnel for strong operational delivery in acute care pathways, the municipal leadership acknowledged that crucial areas required restructuring. The main operational deficits highlighted during the assessment process included:

• Extended Waiting Times: Protracted delays for initial assessments and social care allocations.
• Inadequate Carer Support: Insufficient structured resources and relief frameworks dedicated to unpaid carers across the borough.
• Transitional Disruption: Vulnerable young adults experiencing gaps in care quality during the transition from children’s services to adult social care.
• Information Accessibility: Obstacles faced by local residents attempting to locate clear guidance, care options, and navigational support.

Addressing Cabinet members during the presentation of the report, municipal officers affirmed that rectifying these core areas remains central to fulfilling the authority’s duty of care.

How Will the Improvement Framework Be Governed and Monitored?

To ensure accountability across all workstreams, the local authority established a structured management hierarchy. A dedicated CQC Delivery Board has been formed to supervise monthly progress across every targeted operational area. The board will be directly chaired by the Director of Living Well and Ageing Well, with senior adult social care officers assuming direct responsibility for specific improvement streams.

Monitoring arrangements will also operate through formal civic channels:

1. Quarterly Cabinet Oversight: The Cabinet member responsible for adult social care will receive detailed progress metrics every quarter.
2. Scrutiny Committee Evaluation: Regular performance updates will be presented directly to the People Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee for bipartisan review.
3. Monthly Workstream Audits: Operational heads will execute internal evaluations to verify that milestones match CQC performance criteria.

How Will the Social Care Reforms Be Funded?

Addressing financial arrangements, executive officers confirmed that costed business cases are currently under development to secure long-term funding where the strategy demands additional staffing, upgraded data management systems, or structural changes to care commissioning.

However, the directorate emphasized that corrective action has not been paused pending financial adjustments. Officers informed Cabinet that adult social care teams have already initiated immediate operational adjustments by reallocating existing staff and internal resources wherever viable.

Will There Be Cross-Party Political Involvement on the Delivery Board?

During the Cabinet proceedings, elected representatives raised questions regarding political accountability and cross-party collaboration. Councillor Barry Mugglestone asked whether direct political representation could be incorporated into the monthly CQC Delivery Board and inquired whether a cross-party oversight panel—modeled on an existing structure within children’s services—could be established.

Responding to the proposal, Cabinet member Councillor Graham Day stated that he would be willing to join the executive delivery board personally and confirmed that he would evaluate the feasibility of establishing broader cross-party oversight to ensure transparent governance.

Background of the Particular Development

The Care Quality Commission was granted expanded regulatory powers under the Health and Care Act 2022, enabling the body to independently assess how local authorities in England fulfill their statutory social care duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. These assessments focus on how effectively local authorities manage care access, ensure safeguarding, promote service quality, and support informal care networks.

Havering Council operates within a distinct demographic landscape, serving one of the oldest population profiles in Outer London. This demographic profile creates sustained pressure on local healthcare systems, domiciliary care services, and specialized adult support networks. The August 2025 assessment reflected nationwide challenges facing municipal social care departments, where rising demand and tight budgets have led to longer assessment queues and pressure on unpaid family carers.

The approval of the September 16 strategy marks a formal transition for Havering Council from regulatory assessment to mandatory performance recovery. Municipal leaders noted that while the CQC evaluation represented an operational snapshot captured ahead of the local government elections scheduled for May 2026, the administration accepted the conclusions in full and committed to delivering verifiable operational improvements.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Local Residents and Service Users

The implementation of the approved improvement plan is expected to directly alter how adult social care is accessed and delivered across the London Borough of Havering. Over the coming months, local service users, vulnerable adults, and family carers are likely to experience several practical shifts:

• Shorter Assessment Waiting Periods: As resource allocation adjustments take effect, residents seeking initial social care evaluations or updated care plans should experience reduced processing times and faster access to dedicated care coordinators.
• Expanded Resources for Unpaid Carers: Family members providing informal care are expected to benefit from clearer respite frameworks, increased direct support, and dedicated advice channels designed to alleviate caregiver burnout.
• Smoother Service Transitions: Young individuals moving out of pediatric care environments into adult social services should experience fewer disruptions in their support plans, leading to better continuity of care during adulthood transitions.
• Simplified Information Channels: Direct investments in public information tools aim to make local care options, preventive services, and council advice more accessible to residents navigating municipal support systems for the first time.