Bromley Council has launched a formal challenge against the Care Quality Commission's first ever assessment of its adult social care services, after receiving a 'Requires Improvement' rating that the South London authority claims contains significant inconsistencies.
Council Identifies Scoring Issues and Factual Omissions
The council acknowledges that the CQC report aligns broadly with its own understanding of service strengths and development areas, but has raised serious concerns about what it describes as "scoring inconsistencies and omissions of agreed factual corrections." Bromley officials have also highlighted ambiguity in how the CQC weighted evidence from different sources during the assessment process.
Report Withdrawn Following Council Intervention
These concerns emerged in a report prepared for Bromley Council's Adult Care and Health Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee meeting on February 3. However, the agenda item was withdrawn after the CQC temporarily removed the report from its website the previous day. The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands this removal occurred because the original published version contained an error that required correction.
During this temporary removal period, Bromley Council seized the opportunity to request a comprehensive review of both the report content and its accompanying 'Requires Improvement' score. A council spokesperson expressed appreciation for the CQC's decision to unpublish the error-containing document, stating: "Following concerns about inaccuracies in the report, the council is pleased to note that the CQC have now unpublished the report."
Independent Review Process Underway
All local authorities inspected by the CQC retain the right to request a ratings review when new evidence becomes available after publication. This represents a separate process from the factual accuracy stage and cannot be initiated simply because authorities disagree with the assessment judgements.
The review will be conducted by an independent assessment team that did not participate in the original inspection, ensuring impartiality. The CQC has confirmed it is unable to comment while the review remains ongoing, and no timeline has been established for its completion.
Narrow Miss of 'Good' Rating Causes Frustration
Bromley Council received an overall score of 56 from the CQC, placing it within the 'Requires Improvement' bracket of 39 to 62. Council Leader Colin Smith expressed particular frustration at missing a 'Good' rating by such a narrow margin, especially given what he described as the authority's forward-looking initiatives.
"We are proud of the support we offer our residents in Bromley," Smith stated, "so it is obviously extremely disappointing that the CQC visited us during a time of operational change and appear not to have fully seen the extensive arrangements we have set in place."
Smith highlighted several areas of excellence that he believes the assessment overlooked, including:
- The One Bromley Board partnership with health services, frequently cited as an exemplary model
- The award-winning Loneliness project, recognised nationally and internationally
- Growing support services for veterans across the borough
Comprehensive Inspection Process Detailed
The CQC's assessment followed a thorough inspection process conducted in September 2025. Bromley Council submitted 50 case studies for consideration, from which inspectors selected 10 for detailed examination. Seven Bromley residents consented to share their experiences directly with the assessment team.
An eight-person CQC team conducted a three-day on-site inspection beginning September 15, during which they:
- Engaged with 14 separate focus groups
- Facilitated four drop-in sessions for practitioners
- Held two dedicated sessions for managers
- Met with unpaid carers and residents with lived experience
- Spoke with key individuals including committee chairs
Council Leadership Expresses Confidence in Services
Despite the challenging assessment outcome, Bromley's Director of Adult Social Care Services, Donna Glover, expressed pride in her team's work. "I am immensely proud of the work my colleagues do in the borough," she said, thanking all participants in the inspection process.
Glover emphasised the positive direction of travel for Bromley's services, noting: "Our direction of travel is positive, and we will continue to work closely with our partners to further shape services with our residents, within the obvious financial constraints."
The CQC commenced its new duty of assessing local authority adult social care services in 2023, with Bromley's inspection representing part of this expanded regulatory remit. The outcome of the independent review will determine whether the 'Requires Improvement' rating stands or requires adjustment based on the council's challenges.
