On Friday 6 February 2026, Swindon Borough Council’s adult social care services in Wiltshire were officially upgraded to a ‘Good’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC said the upgrade provides independent assurance that the council is meeting its responsibilities for adult social care under the Care Act 2014.
The change follows the council’s request for a formal review of an earlier assessment published on 14 October 2025 that had rated the service ‘Requires Improvement’. The CQC’s independent review found additional evidence—particularly in relation to the quality statement on governance and leadership—raising that score from 2 to 3 and bringing the overall rating to ‘Good’. The CQC assessed nine quality statements across four themes during its work.
Inspectors assessed the authority against four themes: Working with People; Providing Support; Ensuring Safety; and Leadership. Councillor Ray Ballman, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: ‘This regrading of our adult social care provision is testament to the collective resilience, leadership and commitment of our staff, who work so hard to support some of the most vulnerable people in Swindon.’
Councillor Jim Robbins, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said he was proud of the work colleagues in adult social care were doing and thanked the CQC for allowing the council to challenge the original decision. The council says adult social care accounted for roughly £91 million—about 48%—of its 2024–25 revenue budget; the CQC had used a different figure in its original assessment.
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