Bedford Borough Council’s adult social care services require improvement, inspectors have found, with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) highlighting delays in assessments and reviews, weaknesses in safeguarding, and poor experiences among unpaid carers.
In its first assessment of the council’s adult social care duties under the Care Act, the CQC rated Bedford Borough Council as “requires improvement” overall.
While the watchdog recognised examples of compassionate frontline practice and some positive partnership work, it found the council was not consistently delivering timely support and lacked strong enough oversight in key areas.
The weakest areas in the report were assessing needs, safeguarding, governance, management and sustainability.
Long waits and carers’ concerns
The CQC report issued yesterday (Wednesday) said people were waiting too long for assessments, care planning, and reviews, with some delays running to several months.
Unpaid carers emerged as a particular concern. Inspectors said feedback from carers was “mostly negative”, with many reporting difficulties getting assessments or meaningful support.
The report also found that while urgent safeguarding referrals were generally dealt with quickly, medium and low-risk cases often faced delays. Inspectors said gaps in data also meant the council did not yet fully understand people’s experiences of safeguarding.
Some positives recognised
Alongside the criticism, the report also pointed to areas of progress.
Inspectors said many people described staff as compassionate, knowledgeable and person-centred, and found positive examples of strengths-based practice.
The report also noted strong partnership work with health and voluntary sector organisations and said people could usually access equipment and minor adaptations in a timely way.
The CQC also recognised examples of culturally sensitive care planning and targeted outreach for some under-represented groups.
Council promises improvement plan
Cllr Robert Rigby (Conservative, Bromham), the council’s portfolio holder for adult services, told Bedford’s local democracy reporter he was disappointed by the outcome, but said work was already underway to improve the service.
“I would like to express my disappointment on behalf of everyone at Bedford Borough Council regarding the Care Quality Commission report that was published today.
“While the report has rated our service as ‘Requires Improvement,’ which is not the standard we strive for, I want to emphasise that we are all committed to delivering the best possible care for those who use our services, to support, safeguard and meet the needs of people, including individuals with care and support needs and their carers.”
Cllr Rigby said the areas requiring attention included waiting lists in assessing need and safeguarding, “which links to leadership and governance”.
“At the time of the CQC visit, we were already in the process of transforming our services and enhancing our use of data to improve leadership oversight and a better understanding of our performance,” he said.
“Whilst I am disappointed with this outcome, it is positive to see the report recognises our staff commitment to both strength-based approaches and understanding of our diverse communities.”
In a statement, Bedford Borough Council said it would now implement an improvement plan, with delivery monitored by external partners and the council’s leadership and scrutiny committee.
Mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) told the Bedford Independent, “This is the first time this kind of report has been carried out; it gives us a benchmark to improve upon.”
MP says findings are “deeply concerning.”
Also speaking to the Bedford Independent, Bedford and Kempston MP Mohammad Yasin (Labour) said the report’s findings were “deeply concerning”, particularly around assessment delays, safeguarding and support for carers.
“These issues will not surprise many residents, and the report makes clear the Council is falling short of its statutory responsibilities to some of the most vulnerable in our community,” he said.
He said wider funding pressures on local government were part of the picture, but said they could not excuse the failings identified.
“The report rightly recognises the dedication of frontline staff working under immense pressure, but the system itself is not delivering as it should.
“The Council must now act with urgency, showing stronger leadership, clear accountability, and measurable progress.”
Wider pressure
The report comes amid rising demand and broader financial strain at Borough Hall. Bedford Borough Council overspent its total budget in 2024/25 by £15.2 million, while almost a quarter of all council spending, 24.44 per cent, went on adult social care.
The authority also raised the full 2 per cent adult social care precept that year.
Read: Bedford Borough Council faces £13.6m overspend with £58.6m funding gap expected by 2030
The scale of demand is significant.
In 2023/24, around 2,775 people in Bedford Borough were receiving long-term adult social care support, with a further 460 receiving short-term help.
The report notes that care packages can vary widely in cost and complexity, further straining already stretched services.
The CQC’s findings suggest that while some frontline services are working well, the council still faces major challenges in making sure adult social care is timely, safe and properly overseen.
Additional reporting by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
