Local authority assurance is one of the relatively few survivors of People at the Heart of Care's package of funded reforms. While other commitments were lost or diluted through the pandemic and successive changes of government, the duty on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to review and assess local authority performance in delivering its duties under the Care Act 2014 was retained. Reform has not been delivered, but assurance has.

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has always recognised strong, credible regulation is an essential part of our social care system.