The ‘State of Care’? We’ve never seen it so bad

20 October 2023

Care Rights UK director, Helen Wildbore, reflects on attending the launch of the Care Quality Commission’s annual ‘State of Care’ report

It doesn’t feel like a year has passed since I last sat in the plush event space in Westminster for the launch of the CQC’s State of Care report.

We thought ‘the state of care’ was bad this time last year. Now it is even worse.

We hear every day from people relying on services about the lack of support, their care needs not being met, and about the poor care they are receiving. This is having a devastating impact on their lives. Not just on their quality of life, but on their basic rights like dignity and safety. We also hear about the terrible impact on family carers, relatives and friends. They are having to fill the gaps. Or are witnessing the impact of a broken system on their loved one and are powerless to do anything to change it. Yet the voices of people relying on services are missing from CQC’s report. A telling oversight.

My colleagues who have worked in the sector for 20 years have never seen it in such a bad state. With services so stretched, when people need their regulator the most, the CQC has become more light touch. We’ve seen a drop in inspections - down two thirds since before the pandemic, according to data reported earlier this year. Some services haven’t had an inspection in years. Some have only had a partial inspection, across only a few areas.

We are supporting families who have been let down by CQC’s lack of action to tackle systemic poor care. People can find themselves trapped in a failing care home, in a cycle of poor care that continues for many years on CQC’s watch. The regulator’s role in the state of care is not addressed in the report, focusing instead on the cost of living and workforce challenges.

With the sector in such a bad state, there is a frustrating and worrying lack of urgency in the State of Care report. What is the plan to get out of this crisis? The lives of people placed in the most vulnerable of situations are on the line.