An archive of communications regarding any CQC inspection following notification will be posted here.
4 August 2025
This week the Council has received its long awaited notification of the date that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will be in Devon to deliver its inspection of the delivery of Care Act duties.
The CQC inspection team will be in Devon from Monday 29 September, spending the majority of the week talking to staff, partners and the people we serve.
With nine weeks until the inspection, our preparations are moving into a new phase bringing all that we’ve done over the last 18 months together.
We have a number of planned staff sessions and events planned to continue to ensure staff and our partners are supported to give the best account of themselves and really showcase the impact of our work and the many partnership we have within and beyond the council.
Within Integrated Adult Social Care (IASC), inspection is being seen as an opportunity to celebrate adult social care and the great work taking place.
This is an opportunity to celebrate adult social care and the great work that is taking place in Devon.
Director of IASC Tandra Forster said:
“I’m so proud of everyone in IASC, and also the incredibly supportive staff in other directorates who work so closely with us in the broader delivery of adult social care and have been connected and contributing throughout our preparations.
This is the final push towards inspection and staff having been amazing in embracing it. We’ve learnt a lot from other areas that have gone through the process already, and in my regular conversations and engagement session with staff there’s a sense of real excitement and opportunity to celebrate all that we do and shout loudly about who we are in Devon and the impact we’re having.”
Lead Member for Adults Services, Cllr Richard Keeling said:
“If the CQC inspectors receive the same warm, open and transparent welcome by staff that I’ve received stepping into my new role, then they’ll really experience the values, approach and teamwork we have to adult social care.
As the new administration we’re well aware of the positive impact that adult social care can have and is having Devon. I’m really looking forward to speaking with inspectors and championing how we work and the impact we’re having.”
10 February 2025
CQC Inspection notification received
Today, Monday 10 February 2025, we received notification that Devon County Council will be subject to a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of the delivery of its adult social care duties as set out in Part 1 of the Care Act 2014.
As you know, we have been anticipating this since the CQC started issuing notifications in December 2023.
There has been an incredible amount of work locally to prepare for this, and I want to thank everyone for all your hard work and engagement. We have also learnt a lot from other areas that have already been through the inspection process.
The inspection has been a catalyst for significant change, and I am proud to see how everyone has embraced it. Because of this, we have seen real, tangible progress and improvement. Thank you for all your continued hard work and support.
Next steps
The process from today is as follows: we have a three-week period to submit an information return to the CQC. Once this has been completed, we will receive a further notification of when the CQC plans to visit Devon. It could be up to six months from receiving today’s notification before the CQC arrives.
As we prepare for the inspectors’ visit to Devon, there will be opportunities for staff to further hone preparations and build on previous opportunities provided. A special Learning Together programme will be developed, along with additional bite-size briefings across the themes of the inspection.
I will continue to provide updates as we progress through the inspection process to ensure everyone is aware of what is happening, when and how you can access any support you might need.
There is a specific area of the reSOURCE where further staff information will be available.
What does inspection mean to me and my role?
That is one of the key questions I have heard from staff as we have been preparing for inspection. What we know is that CQC inspectors want to hear directly from staff. Not the senior leaders’ version of what staff are saying and experiencing, but directly from those delivering our Care Act duties. To facilitate this, the CQC will be arranging sessions for any member of staff to attend and talk to inspectors. I support and encourage anyone to attend those sessions as and when the CQC make the arrangements. I will ensure that as soon as we know they are happening, we will let staff know.
Any questions?
We have set up a Care Quality Commission Inspection mailbox that you can use to ask any questions or send in any comments.
You can view the communications about the 2023 LGA Peer Challenge here – this was arranged to help us prepare for a future CQC inspection.