Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment

Local authorities offer adult social care services to their residents. Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an independent regulator of health and social care in England. This means it monitors and reviews all health and social care services.

Currently, the CQC is evaluating how well local authorities meet their responsibilities under the Care Act (2014). After each evaluation, the CQC will publish reports to tell people about the quality of care in their area. This process began in December 2023. The CQC plans to review all 153 local authorities in England over two years.

West Berkshire Council was one of the first local authorities the CQC assessed. The review took place in February 2024.
 

What the assessment involves

The assessment process involves a review of strategic and performance related evidence. The CQC assessors speak with staff teams, health and social care professionals. They also hear from people who receive adult social care about their experience.

What happens after the assessment

The CQC produces a report which includes:

• a short summary of the key features of the local authority
• up to date findings
• focus on people's experiences of care, including what they have said about their experience and how we used it in our assessments
• areas that need improvement
• areas of strength and good practice
• whether the local authority is moving in the right direction

Our assessment

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated West Berkshire Council as 'good' in how well it is meeting its responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support.

You can read the full assessment report here.

Preparing for Local Authority Assurance

We have written a comprehensive self-assessment in preparation for our next Care Quality Commission (CQC) review.

This process has enabled us to reflect on the improvements we have made since our last assessment, identify areas where we aim to do even better, and celebrate the positive outcomes experienced by the people who use our care and support services.

Your can read the full 2026 self-assessment document here [4MB] and we have also published a a high level summary [182KB] .