Lancashire County Council has published an update on its Strategic Review of In-House Adult Social Care Services across Lancashire, including Lancaster, following regulatory and internal reviews of the condition of several council-run care homes and day centres. Cllr Stephen Atkinson, Leader of Lancashire County Council, issued the update on 6 February 2026, saying the authority is moving into the next phase of the review after the county was rated ‘Requires Improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission in August 2025.
The CQC’s August 2025 assessment found the council was not meeting all its duties under the Care Act 2014, citing problems including the poor condition of some buildings and a large number of overdue care reviews. Inspectors reported there were over 7,000 overdue care reviews that needed to be completed to make sure people were getting the right support.
The council’s update says a 72‑hour window to open a ‘facilitation’ period had been set for 9 February 2026, during which the council planned to begin preparing for the facilitated movement of some residents from ageing in‑house sites to alternative provision where appropriate. The council emphasised it “has no intention to close any of the five care homes included in this review” without first securing suitable alternatives for residents.
Officials say the review is intended to address safety and quality issues in the estate, shift more support into community-based services and increase use of Direct Payments (the council simplified its Direct Payments policy in July 2025), as part of wider changes to adult social care. The authority is seeking about £50 million in adult social care savings across 2025–26 and 2026–27, and has said work is needed to address several in‑house buildings (many dating from the 1960s and 1970s) that are in poor condition.
For people supported by Lancashire’s adult social care services, including those in Lancaster, the review could lead to changes in who provides their daily care and where they receive support. The council has said further stakeholder engagement and the development of an outline business case will follow, with decisions returned to cabinet for consideration in April 2026.
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