Camden's Adult Social Care (ASC) services have received an Outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), making it the first in the country to achieve this under the new CQC Assurance framework.

As of the ASC CQC Report's writing, 40 local authorities had published ratings, with 23 (58%) rated Good (scores between 63-87%) and 16 (40%) rated Requires Improvement (scores between 39-62%). Camden is the first and only Local Authority to receive an 'Outstanding' rating under the new framework.

The new CQC Assurance framework assesses local authorities based on four key themes: Working with People, Providing Support, Ensuring Safety, and Leadership. The ASC CQC Report mentions that the CQC process provided an opportunity to reflect on the role of social care and Camden's approach to building a social care system.

The CQC's assessment, which awarded Camden an overall score of 89%, was discussed at the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee meeting on 8 July 2025. The rating reflects the council's strengths in several key areas, including equity, partnership working, safe systems, governance, and innovation.

CQC Assessment of Camden Adult Social Care: Camden achieved an 'Outstanding' rating with a score of 89%.
CQC Assessment of Camden Adult Social Care: Camden achieved an 'Outstanding' rating with a score of 89%.Source: Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee papers, 8 July 2025

The CQC report, detailed in Appendix A - London Borough of Camden ASC CQC Assessment report, highlighted Camden's commitment to equity, noting that it is at the forefront of its vision, strategy and workplace culture. The report also commended the council's strong collaborative and partnership working, particularly with housing and children's services. Specific examples of Camden's collaboration include:

  • Effective communication between teams, including partnership multidisciplinary teams, particularly evident for young people with additional needs served by the integrated (0-25 year old) transition pathway encompassing Camden Young People's Disability Service (CYPDS) and the Camden Learning Disability Service for adults (CLDS).
  • Joint work between adult social care, housing and the voluntary and community sector to face the challenge of housing in Camden, with particular reference to support for refugees.

Specific initiatives and programs that contributed to Camden achieving an 'Outstanding' rating in equity and partnership working, as highlighted in the ASC CQC Report, include:

  • The use of an Artist in Residence to document and celebrate people's lives, demonstrating a compassionate approach.
  • Innovative and effective use of Family Group Conferences to support people experiencing homelessness.
  • The Race Equality Action Plan, Carers Action Plan, and LGBTQ+ learning framework for people in later life, enabling meaningfully inclusive work.

Examples of innovation within Camden's Adult Social Care services that were highlighted by the CQC include:

  • The use of an Artist in Residence to document and celebrate people's lives.
  • The use of Family Group Conferences to support people experiencing homelessness.
  • The Adult Early Help 'test and learn' offer.
  • Innovative art-based projects which involved autistic people in shaping services.

The ASC CQC Report also notes that Camden faced challenges such as insufficient funding and severe challenges looking at social care nationally. The report also notes that Camden remains focused on continuous improvement, including strengthening resident and carer voices and enhancing support for people experiencing multiple disadvantages.