Adult social care told to improve amid long waits

Inspectors have rated a county's adult care services as requires improvement, after finding people were waiting too long for assessments, safeguarding responses and financial decisions about the cost of their care.

Devon County Council's (DCC) adult social care services were inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2025.

The CQC said the council was meeting some of its responsibilities well but identified several areas where people's experiences needed to improve.

DCC said it was disappointed to miss a good rating by one point but highlighted "significant progress" since the inspection.

Mary Cridge, CQC director of adult social care and local authority assessment, said: "Devon County Council serves a large, predominantly rural county with a rapidly ageing population, and the pressures this creates are reflected across its adult social care system.

"While we found a number of strengths, our assessment also identified areas where people's experiences need to improve."

Inspectors found 546 people were on a safeguarding waiting list at the time of the assessment, with the longest wait reaching 146 days.

They also found 2,190 people were waiting to learn how much they would need to contribute towards their care, with some waiting nearly two and a half years.

Nearly 3,000 people were also waiting for reviews of deprivation of liberty safeguards, which protect vulnerable adults lacking mental capacity who require continuous supervision, with some cases delayed by more than three and a half years.

Cridge said: "Many people were waiting too long for assessments, reviews and safeguarding responses. These delays were affecting people's access to timely support and protection."

The report also found people from ethnic minority communities were underrepresented in referrals, while autistic people said they felt misunderstood and faced poorer health outcomes. Unpaid carers, particularly in rural areas, continued to struggle with financial pressures, isolation and limited access to respite services.

Despite the concerns, inspectors highlighted strengths in Devon's approach. They said assessments were person-centred and focused on helping people remain independent.

The CQC also praised the county's reablement services, which helped 95.84% of people receiving short-term support avoid needing ongoing care, compared with a national average of 79%.

Cridge said leaders and staff recognised where improvements were needed and had plans in place to tackle the challenges. She added: "We look forward to seeing how these changes continue to develop and improve people's experiences of care and support."

DCC said progress had continued since the inspection, with the number of people waiting for a financial assessment falling to 1,098 by April 2026. The council stressed delays in financial assessments did not delay people from receiving care and said 91% of care packages were arranged within the target of 28 days.

Councillor Richard Keeling said: "We're disappointed to miss out on a rating of good by a single point, but this CQC report doesn't diminish our commitment to supporting vulnerable adults."

He added: "We accept that we still have work to do. We know where we need to improve and I've no doubt we will."

Councillor Jess Bailey said the outcome was disappointing but added improvements were already being felt in many areas and scrutiny of the services would continue.

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