The Care Quality Commission has rated Wirral Council's adult social care Good, up from Requires Improvement in 2025. Direct payments and transitions still lag.
Wirral Council’s adult social care service has been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission. It is up from Requires Improvement at the last assessment, published in January 2025. The regulator published its new report on Wednesday 4 November (Wirral Council local authority assessment, CQC).
The assessment ran from June to September 2026, with a site visit in August. Inspectors spoke to people who use services, unpaid carers, voluntary groups, care providers, council staff and partners, and read people’s records.
The council says it is the first time Wirral has been rated Good under the CQC’s new framework for councils (CQC recognises improvements, Wirral View).
What the inspectors scored
The CQC scores councils on nine quality statements, from 1 to 4. Wirral scored 3 on seven and 2 on two:
| Quality statement | Score |
|---|---|
| Assessing needs | 3 |
| Supporting people, including unpaid carers, to lead healthier lives | 3 |
| Equity in experience and outcomes | 2 |
| Care provision, integration and continuity | 3 |
| Partnerships and communities | 3 |
| Safe systems, pathways and transitions | 2 |
| Safeguarding | 3 |
| Governance, management and sustainability | 3 |
| Learning, improvement and innovation | 3 |
What has improved since 2024
The report says:
- the council’s front door, the first point of contact, has been rebuilt with health and voluntary partners, and most people said they were called back promptly and felt listened to
- assessments are now on time, in line with the England average
- more unpaid carers are being identified and supported than in 2024
- access to occupational therapy, equipment and adaptations has improved
- the council now visits every regulated care provider at least once a year
- most safeguarding concerns were risk assessed and completed within five days
- fewer Wirral residents were stuck in local hospitals waiting to be discharged than elsewhere
At the last assessment the CQC found gaps in care provision and problems with the standard of some care homes. This time it says the range and quality of services have improved.
What still needs work
The two lower scores point at the same groups. The report found:
- direct payments uptake is still low, though the council has set up a personal assistant register and named champions in every team
- financial assessments drew a high share of complaints, and the council is changing the process
- most young people who will need adult care did not start preparing for the move before 16, which could delay their care
- people moving from paying for their own care to funded care had mixed experiences
- some groups still struggle to get the right support because of language, cultural barriers or digital exclusion, and staff did not consistently record who was using which services
- gaps remain for people with dementia nursing needs and young people with multiple needs
What the council said
Councillor Sue Powell-Wilde, who chairs the council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee, said the rating showed that “despite increasing demand and significant challenges facing the care sector nationally, Wirral continues to place people at the heart of its services.”
Sayyed Osman, the council’s Director for Adults, Health and Strategic Commissioning, said: “While we are proud of what has been achieved, we are not complacent.”
What it means for you
- If you or someone you care for needs support, the report says assessments are now on time and most people are called back promptly. The council’s adult social care team is the starting point.
- If you are an unpaid carer, you are entitled to your own carer’s assessment, separate from the person you look after. The CQC found the council is now doing these properly.
- If you want to arrange your own care with a direct payment, the council is actively promoting them; ask for one at assessment.
- If a young person in your family will need adult care, the report suggests starting that conversation before they turn 16.
The council’s earlier changes to its day services are in our story on changes to Wirral’s adult day services.
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