The Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel met to discuss the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment of adult social care, the quality of adult social care providers, and the prevention of cardiovascular disease in Tameside. The panel reviewed the corporate performance reports for the Adults and Public Health directorates. They also agreed to the scope of a scrutiny review on preventing cardiovascular disease, and approved the scrutiny work programme.

CQC Assessment Update

The panel received an update on the upcoming CQC assessment of Tameside Council's Adult Social Care services. Stephanie Butterworth, Strategic Director of Adults' Services, presented the CQC Update for Scrutiny Panel, which outlined the self-assessment and information return submitted to the CQC on 31 July 2025. The report detailed the next steps in the assessment process, including an on-site visit, case tracking, and meetings with senior leadership.

The CQC is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England¹. The assessment will focus on four themes:

• How the council works with people
• Providing support
• How the council ensures safety within the system
• Leadership

The Tameside ASC One Page Summary - CQC Assessment Quick Guide V7 summarised the council's self-assessment, highlighting areas of pride and areas for improvement under each theme.

Adult Social Care Provider Quality and CQC Ratings

The panel received a report outlining the current quality of adult social care providers in Tameside, along with the council's approach to ensuring quality. Councillor John Taylor, Executive Member (Adult Social Care and Inclusivity), and Stephanie Butterworth, Strategic Director of Adults' Services, presented the Adult Social Care Provider Quality and CQC Ratings August 2025 - Presentation.

The report included data on care homes, domiciliary providers, and supported living providers, including their CQC ratings. As of August 2025:

• 72.7% of care homes in Tameside were rated as 'Good' or 'Outstanding' by the CQC.
• 54% of domiciliary providers were rated as 'Good' or 'Outstanding' by the CQC, with 41% not yet inspected.
• 60% of supported living providers were rated as 'Good' or 'Outstanding' by the CQC, with 30% not yet inspected.

The report also detailed the council's processes for ensuring quality, including quality meetings, self-assessments, medication management reviews, unannounced visits, and safeguarding procedures.

The sale of Hyde Nursing Home was in process, and commissioners were involved in discussions regarding the future use of the home.

Corporate Performance Report - Quarter 1 2025/26

The panel reviewed the corporate performance reports for the council's Adults and Public Health directorates for Quarter 1 of 2025/26. Councillor Tafheen Sharif, First Deputy (Population Health and Wellbeing), Councillor John Taylor, Stephanie Butterworth, and James Mallion, Director of Public Health, presented the CPR Q1 2526 Adults and Health Scrutiny.

Key points from the Adults report included:

• 46.9% of contacts into Adults were resolved at the front door, before the point of assessment.
• 67.2% of new users of short-term services (reablement[^2]) went on to make no further request for ongoing support. [^2]: Reablement services help people regain their independence after illness or injury.
• The rate of new permanent admissions to residential and nursing care for adults aged 18-64 decreased, while the rate for adults aged 65+ increased.
• 87.3% of Section 42 safeguarding enquiries[^3] closed with the risk being reported as either reduced or removed. [^3]: Section 42 enquiries relate to safeguarding adults at risk of abuse or neglect.
• Staff turnover increased for both reablement and long-term support staff, and for social workers and assessors.
• 72.7% of care homes are rated Good or Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
• 32% of annual reviews were overdue, but the severity of delays is improving.

Key points from the Public Health report included:

• The rate at which pregnant women were smoking at the time of delivery has risen slightly to 5.2%.
• There has been another quarterly increase in the percentage of domestic abuse victims who are repeat victims, up to 11.48%.
• Uptake of the reception age supervised toothbrushing offer is low at 16.9% of children.

Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Scrutiny Review

The panel received a report outlining the discussions held during the scoping meeting on 12 August 2025, and agreed to the scope of the Scrutiny Review on Tameside Council's Role in Preventing Cardiovascular Disease (Healthy Food, Physical Activity & Tackling Inequalities). Councillor Sangita Patel, Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel, James Mallion, and Georgia Latham, Scrutiny Manager, presented the Scrutiny Review Scoping Report.

The review will focus on the council's approach to tackling unhealthy eating and physical inactivity, two of the major preventable drivers underpinning cardiovascular disease. The aims of the scrutiny review are to:

• Understand the scale, impact and spatial distribution of cardiovascular disease and other preventable diseases across Tameside.
• Examine disparities in health outcomes across key demographic groups, including ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age and gender, and identify key determinants of health inequalities.
• Review Tameside's whole-system approach to preventing cardiovascular disease through examining related policies and plans including the Local Plan, the Tameside Moving Strategic Framework and the Tameside Good Food Plan.
• Explore specific environmental and behavioural interventions to encourage healthy eating and physical activity within Tameside, including hot food takeaway regulations and the Be Well weight management offer, and how these contribute to achieving the wider strategic vision for a healthy, active borough.
• Develop tangible, evidence-based recommendations to strengthen Tameside's approach to tackling unhealthy eating and physical inactivity, with a view to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities.

The review will include data analysis, examination of food environments and planning policies, exploration of cultural and behavioural dietary risks, review of weight management and health promotion programs, examination of physical activity and leisure provision, and review of the strategic approach and policy integration.

Scrutiny Work Programme

The panel received a report setting out the planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Panel's future meetings and Forward Plan items that fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Panel. Councillor Sangita Patel and Georgia Latham presented the Scrutiny Work Programme Report.

Planned agenda items include:

• Social Prescribing Offer (including isolation and the impact of loneliness on health)
• Access to Dentistry
• Supporting People to Live Well and Independently at Home (including housing adaptations)
• Draft Budget Proposals 2026/27
• Access to Primary Care (including how we are addressing exclusion)
• Access to Dentistry (six-month update report)
• Response to the Substance Misuse Scrutiny Review Recommendations
• Outcome of the Scrutiny Review for 2025/26 Municipal Year

The panel requested briefings on the delivery of the new Placed Based Partnership Model and vaccinations and the long-term impact of Covid-19 on mental and physical health. They also requested written reports on hospital meals and accommodating dietary requirements, and commissioning of the Tameside Food Partnership.