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Adult Social Care self-assessment 2026

In 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) looked at adult social care in Lancashire.

CQC found many examples of good care and support. They praised our caring staff, our work to keep people safe and some of the ways we work with other organisations.

But they also found things we needed to improve. Some people waited too long for help. Support was not always joined up and people sometimes had to tell their story more than once. Information was not always easy to find or understand.

We accepted these findings and have been working hard to improve.

What has improved?

We want people to get the right support, at the right time, and to have more choice and control over their lives.

Since our last CQC assessment:

  • Fewer people are waiting for an assessment. The number fell from 2,089 to 956 by September 2026.

  • People are getting answers sooner. We are helping more people when they first contact us, without the need for a full assessment.

  • We are helping people to stay independent. Around 8 in 10 people who received short-term support did not need ongoing adult social care afterwards.

  • We have made safeguarding stronger. We have improved the way we keep track of concerns and make sure action is taken.

  • We are listening more to people and unpaid carers. More than 700 people shared 185 ideas to help shape the future of adult social care in Lancashire.

  • We are working more closely with partners and care providers to make support easier to access and more joined up.

What should this mean for you?

We want people to notice a real difference when they need care and support.

This means:

  • getting information and help more easily

  • waiting less time for an assessment

  • having conversations about what matters to you

  • having more choice and control

  • getting support to stay independent for as long as possible

  • having to tell your story fewer times

  • feeling safe and involved in decisions

  • having more opportunities to help shape our services.

We know there is more to do

We have made progress, but we know that people's experiences are not yet as good or as consistent as we want them to be.

Some people still wait too long for reviews, occupational therapy and some other types of support. We need to make sure people get the same good experience wherever they live in Lancashire. We also need to listen more closely to people's experiences and show how their feedback has led to change.

Over the next year, we will keep working to:

  • reduce waiting times

  • make support more joined up

  • help people stay independent

  • offer more choice closer to home

  • improve support for unpaid carers

  • make sure people are safe

  • make services fair and accessible for everyone

  • listen to people and involve them in decisions about adult social care.

Better Care, Better Lives

We want people in Lancashire to be able to live a good life, stay independent and get the right care and support when they need it.

We will keep checking whether the changes we make are improving people's lives. We will be honest about what is working well and where we still need to improve.