North Northamptonshire care plan targets delays

By hiyastar.co.uk Newsroom

North Northamptonshire residents who rely on adult social care could see faster assessments, clearer access routes and stronger safeguarding oversight under an improvement plan going before the council’s Executive on 9 June 2026.

The Adult social care action plan has been drawn up after the Care Quality Commission rated North Northamptonshire Council as “Requires Improvement” in an assessment published in March 2026. The council says the plan builds on areas the regulator already recognised as working, while setting out changes intended to make support more consistent for residents, unpaid carers and families.

Faster assessments and a single access route

The council says waiting times for assessments have fallen by more than 60 per cent since January 2025. For residents, that measure matters because an assessment is often the gateway to practical support, care planning, safeguarding referrals or help for a carer under pressure.

A new Single Point of Access has also been launched to make it easier for people to seek support. The change is aimed at reducing the variation residents can face when trying to find the right team or service, particularly across different local areas in North Northamptonshire.

The council has also reported more consistent access to services, refreshed information and advice, and wider use of Easy Read formats. Those changes are designed to help residents who may struggle with complex forms, unclear routes into services or information that is difficult to understand at a stressful point.

North Northamptonshire’s update sits within a wider national focus on local care performance, with other councils also being assessed under the CQC’s local authority framework. A related hiyastar.co.uk report on adult social care inspection findings shows how access, fairness and local support are becoming central tests for councils.

What the CQC found in March

The Care Quality Commission assessment did not say the council was failing across the board. It rated the authority as “Requires Improvement” while also recognising that “strong foundations” were in place.

According to the council, the CQC highlighted person-centred and strengths-based practice, partnership working, commissioning and quality assurance as positive areas. The improvement plan is therefore framed as a programme to strengthen delivery rather than replace the whole service model.

For residents, the distinction is significant. A “Requires Improvement” rating means the regulator found gaps that need to be addressed, but the council is also pointing to existing practice it says can support faster progress.

Changes already reported by the council

North Northamptonshire Council says several service changes have been made since the assessment period ended. These include a dedicated safeguarding adults’ team, new digital tools intended to increase frontline capacity, and more than 1,100 nights of respite care delivered for unpaid carers in 2026 so far.

Respite care is a practical pressure point for families because it can give unpaid carers short breaks from full-time caring responsibilities. The council’s figure suggests the improvement programme is not only focused on internal process, but also on support that can be felt directly in households.

The creation of the Together for Care forum is another part of the plan. The forum is intended to give people with lived experience a stronger role in shaping adult social care services. The council says this reflects a commitment to co-production, where residents and service users help shape policies or services rather than being consulted only after decisions are largely formed.

New board to oversee the improvement plan

A new Adult Social Care Improvement Board will oversee delivery of the programme. It will be co-chaired by the Executive Member for Adults and Health Partnerships and an expert by experience.

That structure is intended to keep lived experience close to decision-making. The board will be expected to track whether changes are making access fairer, whether support is arriving sooner, and whether data is being used to identify weak points in the system.

The council says the improvement programme will focus on timely support, fair access, stronger support for carers and better use of data. These are the areas residents are most likely to notice when trying to get help for themselves or a family member.

Deadline for the Department of Health and Social Care

The report will be presented to the Council Executive on 9 June 2026. North Northamptonshire Council then plans to submit the improvement plan to the Department of Health and Social Care by the end of June 2026.

The council says it will continue working with partners including the Local Government Association, voluntary and community sector organisations, and residents as the plan is delivered.

Source: North Northamptonshire Council