Lambeth's Adult Social Care services have been awarded an overall Good
rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in May 2026, achieving a score of 78 out of 100. This places Lambeth in the top 10 local authorities nationally for overall performance and third in London. The service was particularly commended with an Outstanding
rating for Equity in Experiences and Outcomes,
making Lambeth one of only five local authorities nationwide to receive this top mark in this crucial area.
Richard Sparks, Director of Adult Social Care, highlighted this as a significant achievement, attributing it to the council's ongoing commitment to addressing inequalities and ensuring services are responsive to users. The CQC report recognised that equity and inclusion was a key consideration in Lambeth with intersectionality one of the core theories in the practice model.
It also noted that Lambeth had a strong understanding of local inequalities and disproportionality, and had commissioned provision that improved outcomes and experiences for seldom heard groups.
While acknowledging the positive assessment, Councillor David Oxley raised questions regarding performance since the inspection. He specifically inquired about the uptake rate for direct payments, noting that Lambeth has traditionally always been a struggle in terms of increasing our uptake of direct payments,
though the proportion of people with a direct payment reached a five-year high in 2025/26. He also asked about waiting times for the Home Improvement Agency and safeguarding concerns.
Officers confirmed that performance is closely monitored through a robust governance structure, including monthly Performance and Assurance Boards that scrutinise trends and risks aligned to the CQC framework. For the Neighbourhood Working initiative, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as reductions in hospital admissions and patient-reported outcomes are being tracked.
Regarding the Home Improvement Agency, Adult Social Care and Housing have established a recovery plan to reduce wait times. This plan includes significant investment in recruiting additional Occupational Therapists, surveyors, and caseworkers, expanding the trusted assessor model, improving operational processes, and strengthening contractor capacity.
Councillor Oxley also raised specific safeguarding concerns about section 42 thresholds and delayed feedback,
as well as mixed experiences
for unpaid carers. David Jennings, Assistant Director for Quality Assurance in Adult Social Care, explained that measures to improve feedback loops to practitioners are being implemented, including feedback forms for frontline staff. He added that the service automatically engages referrers in the triage process for new referrals. The CQC report also noted that some partners felt unsure about the thresholds for Section 42 enquiries and that providers reported feedback on safeguarding investigation outcomes was not always timely.
Officers confirmed that ongoing work is being done to address rising demand and the increasing complexity of cases. Richard Sparks cited the demography of an aging population
as a key driver for increased demand, alongside the acuity and the complexity of people supporting.
For more details on the committee's discussions, refer to the Public reports pack for the Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee meeting on Monday 05 October 2026.