The Adult Social Care and Communities Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 12 May 2026. The meeting's agenda includes updates on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Improvement Plan for Adult Social Care, performance reports, and an overview of Adult Social Care services. Public Health matters and the committee's work plan for the upcoming year will also be discussed.

Adult Social Care CQC Improvement Plan

A significant item on the agenda is an update on the Adult Social Care CQC Improvement Plan. This plan has been developed in response to the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) assessment of Adult Social Care Services in Gloucestershire, which resulted in a rating of Requires Improvement in January 2025. The report will detail the progress made in implementing the improvement plan, focusing on key areas such as reducing waiting times for assessments and care allocation, enhancing the quality of practice, and strengthening safeguarding measures. It will also outline remaining priorities, including embedding consistent evidence of impact, completing the transition of delegated functions, and fostering greater equity and co-production. The report will also highlight principal risks, such as capacity and demand volatility, partner dependencies, and provider market pressures. The CQC's framework for assessing local authorities, which focuses on four themes: Working with People, Providing Support, Keeping People Safe, and Leadership, will be referenced. The report will also detail what is new in the CQC's approach for 2026, including a greater emphasis on unpaid carers and more structured information returns.

Quarter 3 Performance Report 2025/26

The committee is scheduled to receive the Quarter 3 Performance Report for Adult Social Care and Communities for the period of 1 October to 31 December 2025. This report will provide an overview of the performance during this period, and members will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Adult Social Care Update

An update on matters relating to the delivery of Adult Social Care in Gloucestershire is also scheduled for discussion. This report will provide an overview of current activities and developments within the service. Key areas to be covered include an update on the Transformation of Adult Social Care Programme and Technology Enabled Care (TEC) systems. TEC is described as the use of technology to help people, especially older adults and those with disabilities or long-term conditions, live safely and independently. ¹ The report will detail the progress of the TEC service, which has been delivered by Careium since September 2025, including the digital switchover progress and any associated risks. An Adult Social Care Operations Celebration Event held on 24 April 2026 will also be highlighted, focusing on strengths-based practice and innovation. Furthermore, the update will cover the return of several delegated Adult Social Care functions from Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC) back to Gloucestershire County Council (GCC). These functions include Mental Health Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Community Reablement, and Mental Health Supported Accommodation, with target transfer dates outlined for each. The report will also present suggestions for future agenda items for the committee, such as social care provision for adults of working age, prevention strategies, transitions from children's to adult social care, support for hospital discharge, and further discussion on the delegated functions.

Public Health Update

The committee will receive an update on matters relating to Public Health and the delivery of health and wellbeing services in Gloucestershire. This report will cover several key areas:

• Recommissioning of suicide bereavement service: A new service has been commissioned to support individuals and families affected by suicide, running from April 2026 to 2029. The service is provided by Rethink.
• Good Food Local Benchmarking: Gloucestershire achieved an overall score of 60% in a benchmarking exercise focused on healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems. Opportunities to strengthen community food initiatives have been identified.
• Launch of Gloucestershire's Food Map: A new online resource has been developed by Feeding Gloucestershire to help residents find community food support.
• School Food Standards Consultation: The government has launched a consultation on reforming School Food Standards, which will have implications for Gloucestershire's school catering contract.
• Weight Wise Pilots: The new adult weight management model is being piloted in four Primary Care Network (PCN) areas.
• Gambling Funding: Gloucestershire has been awarded grant funding to establish a local gambling harms prevention programme over two years.
• Substance Use Funding 2026-2029: A proposal will go to Cabinet for the allocation of Public Health Grant to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.
• Director of Public Health Report 2025: The annual report, titled 'Home is where our health is', focuses on the significant impact of housing on health and wellbeing, highlighting issues of substandard housing, affordability, and the need for accessible and adaptable homes.

Work Plan Review 2025-26

The committee will review its work plan for the past year and discuss items for future inclusion. This will involve considering outstanding actions and monitoring performance. Dates for future meetings in July, September, and November 2026 will also be noted. Members are encouraged to suggest items for the work plan, taking into account forthcoming executive decisions and the Council Strategy. The report also outlines different categories for scrutiny items: Overview, Scrutiny, Information, and Membership.