Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care has praised the dedication and hard work of staff following the publication of the Care Quality Commission (CQC)’s inspection report under its new regulatory framework.
The CQC assessed the Council’s adult social care services in March 2025, awarding a score of 62 — just one point below a ‘Good’ rating.
Councillor Ray Ballman welcomed the findings, which highlighted strong leadership, motivated staff and effective partnership working across health and social care.
CQC’s Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care, Chris Badger, commended the Council’s leadership team for having a clear vision and a committed workforce “eager to contribute to ongoing improvement.” He also praised the Council’s “encouraging inroads in addressing delays and backlogs” and noted its strong collaborative work with local health partners.
The report stated:
“Overall, Swindon Borough Council are aware of the areas where improvements are needed and should be pleased with many positive findings in our assessment and the foundations they have built.”
Cllr Ballman said the inspection shows that the Council is well positioned to achieve further progress:
“I’m extremely proud of all our staff who work in our adult social care department because they do a tremendous job every day to support our residents.
To miss out on a ‘Good’ grading by one point shows we are firmly on the right track, and the CQC’s report recognises a lot of the positive work underpinning our vision that everyone should have a home, a friend and a purpose.
We know there’s more to do to reduce delays in assessments and reviews, but the report notes we’ve already taken steps to improve — these changes just need time to become fully embedded. I’m confident we’ll achieve the sustained improvement the CQC is looking for.”
The CQC report will be formally discussed by the Council’s Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday, 22 October 2025.
