State of Care 2024/25: What the Latest CQC Report Means for Social Care and How Providers Can Prepare for the Future
- 3treescs
- Nov 17
- 3 min read
Each year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) releases its State of Care report - a comprehensive assessment of how health and social care services in England are performing. The 2024/25 report reveals a system under increasing strain, but also highlights clear opportunities for providers who are ready to innovate, adapt and lead.
In this article, we’ve pulled out the key insights from the report and outlined what they mean for forward-thinking adult social care providers like 3 Trees.
The Pressure on Social Care Is Intensifying
The CQC makes it clear: demand continues to rise, resources remain stretched, and inequality across regions is still a major issue. People with learning disabilities, autism, dementia and complex needs are the most at risk of experiencing fragmented or inadequate care.
What this means for providers: Services supporting people with more complex or specialist needs will face increasing scrutiny, but also increasing relevance. Providers who can demonstrate genuine personalisation, community inclusion and stable staffing will stand out.
Workforce Challenges Are Still the Biggest Barrier
Vacancy rates have improved overall, but homecare and supported living services continue to struggle with recruitment and retention. Staff often feel undervalued, overstretched, and poorly recognised. The reduction in international recruitment options has created additional strain.
The report also highlights significant issues around race and disability discrimination, showing that the sector has serious culture and inclusion work to do.
Opportunity for providers: A strong, visible culture of inclusion, wellbeing, progression and respect is no longer optional but a competitive advantage. Those who invest in staff will deliver safer, more consistent care and will be recognised for it.
Digital Innovation Is Becoming Essential, Not Optional
One of the most striking themes in the report is the push for digital integration across health and social care. Poor information sharing is still causing delays, missed risks, and preventable harm.
The CQC explicitly encourages the use of digital tools, analytics and even selective AI to:
Improve communication
Predict risks
Track outcomes
Support prevention
Reduce workload
Successful pilot schemes (e.g., e-falls projects) are already demonstrating measurable impact.
What this means for providers: Digital maturity will increasingly influence inspection outcomes. Providers with modern systems, clear data, and demonstrable impact will be seen as safer, more transparent, and more forward-thinking.
The Shift Toward Community-Based, Preventative Care
The NHS 10-Year Health Plan and local Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are all pushing in the same direction: more care delivered in the community, closer to home, focused on prevention rather than crisis response.
The CQC expects providers to be part of this shift - working alongside local authorities, voluntary organisations and community partners.
Opportunity for providers: Community-based supported living models, reablement pathways, and wellbeing-focused services will play a central role in the system going forward. Providers who can show impact in prevention, independence building and hospital avoidance will align perfectly with national priorities.
The New Single Assessment Framework: What CQC Wants to See
CQC’s new framework emphasises:
Leadership
Risk management
Staff culture
Using data to drive improvement
Co-production and voice of people
Measurable impact
This means evidence matters. Providers must be able to show what they do, why it works, and how they learn.
Final Thoughts
The sector is under pressure, but the direction of travel is clear. Providers who are digitally confident, prevention-focused, workforce-centred and community-aligned will do better in the years ahead.
For organisations like 3TCS, the future isn’t something to brace for — it’s something to shape.
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