The CQC State of Care report, published on 23 October 2026, is the regulator's yearly assessment of health and adult social care in England. For families choosing home care in Hertfordshire, its message is practical: most homecare services assessed were rated good or outstanding, but quality still varies, so it pays to read a provider's own inspection report carefully.
To talk anything through with someone local, our St Albans team is on 01727 324 127.
What is the CQC State of Care report?
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates health and social care in England. Each autumn it publishes an annual look at how services are doing. This year's edition is called The state of health care and adult social care in England 2025/26.
Most of it is written for government and the care sector. However, a few findings matter directly to a family weighing up help at home for a parent.
If you are already comparing agencies, our list of questions to ask a home care provider sits well alongside this article.
What did the report find about home care?
According to the CQC's report, 80% of the 2,121 homecare services assessed under the current framework by August 2026 were rated good or outstanding.
The CQC cautions that it assesses services on a risk basis, so that sample may not represent every service. In other words, the national picture tells you little about the agency on your own shortlist.
The CQC also reported these findings:
- Homecare services have grown by 42% since 2019.
- Almost one in four people receiving homecare now pay for it themselves.
- Around 223,000 fewer adults received long-term council-funded support at the end of 2024/25 than 20 years earlier.
- Leadership was the area most in need of improvement.
The CQC also described the social care market as being reshaped "largely by accident rather than by design".
What does this mean if you are choosing care in Hertfordshire?
First, there are many more homecare services than there were, and many people now arrange and fund care privately. That means more choice, but also more comparing to do. In practice, families often start looking after a hospital stay or a fall, with little time to spare.
Second, the finding on leadership deserves attention. A well-led service tends to have steady rotas, clear records and managers who answer the phone. Those are the things that make help with washing, dressing and meals feel dependable from one week to the next.
How to read a provider's CQC report
The CQC registers every home care agency in England. You can search for a provider by name or postcode on the CQC website and open its latest report. Services are rated on a four-point scale: outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.
Ratings are built around five key questions. Is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs and well-led? The CQC's guidance on choosing social care sets these out in plain terms.
What to look for beyond the headline rating
- The date. Check when the service was last assessed. An older rating may not reflect how it runs today.
- The five separate ratings. A service can be good overall yet rated requires improvement for one question, such as safe or well-led.
- The written detail. Look for what inspectors said about late or missed visits, support with medicines and how complaints were handled.
- No rating yet. If a service has not been rated, ask how it checks the quality of its own care in the meantime.
Check the rating is on display
Providers are legally required to show their rating. For homecare agencies, the CQC's rules on displaying ratings say the current rating must appear on every website the provider runs that describes its services. If you cannot find it, ask the provider why.
What did the CQC State of Care report say about family carers?
Carers UK, the national charity for unpaid carers, picked out another strand. According to Carers UK, the report found significant delays in assessments. The report itself describes a tendency in some councils to view carers "as extensions of the person receiving care and support".
If you look after a parent, you can ask Hertfordshire County Council for a carer's assessment of your own needs, and it is free. Our guide to care needs assessments in Hertfordshire explains how to ask and what usually happens next.
Questions to put to an agency after reading its report
A report shows what inspectors saw. A conversation shows how the service thinks. So these questions are worth asking:
- What did you change after your last assessment?
- Who would visit, and how do you keep the team small and familiar?
- How is each visit recorded, and can the family see the notes?
- What happens if a carer is running late or is unwell?
- Who do we call in the evening or at weekends?
A well run provider will answer plainly.
Frequently asked questions
Does the State of Care report rate individual home care agencies?
No. It is a national overview of health and social care in England. Each agency is rated in its own inspection report, which is free to read on the CQC website.
Is a good CQC rating enough to choose a provider?
It is a sound starting point rather than the whole answer. Look at the date and the five separate ratings too. Then meet the provider and ask how it would fit around your parent's routine.
Will this year's report change what care costs?
The report does not set prices or change funding rules. It describes the state of the sector. Questions about council funding still begin with a needs assessment from Hertfordshire County Council.
What can we do if we are worried about a care service?
The CQC suggests raising the concern with the provider first. You can also contact the council's adult social services. The CQC accepts concerns online or on 03000 616161.
How Starling Homecare can help
Starling Homecare is an independent, family run provider based in St Albans and registered with the Care Quality Commission. We offer visiting care, overnight care and live-in care, including personal care at home such as help with washing, dressing and getting ready for the day.
Figures and guidance checked on 25 October 2026 against the CQC State of Care report 2025/26, Carers UK and the Care Quality Commission.
Arranging Care Is Simple
Starting care can feel like a big step. We keep it calm and straightforward, and we are here to guide you from your very first call.
1. Talk to us
Get in touch by phone or request a callback. We will listen, answer your questions and help you understand the options, so you can decide what feels right in your own time.
2. A home visit and initial consultation
We arrange a visit to understand your routines, your home and what matters most to you. Together we agree an initial consultation and shape the support that feels right.
3. Your care begins
A small, familiar team starts your care, arriving at the agreed times and staying involved as your needs change. We remain your trusted adviser throughout.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to help.