Adult social care in Luton rated ‘good’ by inspectors
Luton Borough Council’s adult social care service has been rated as good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The independent regulator assessed the experience of people in Luton when dealing with adult social care as part of a routine inspection.
Cllr Basit Mahmood, who was the portfolio holder for adult social care at the time of the inspection, called the report “a positive result for Luton and a moment of real pride for everyone working in adult social care”.
The report, published today, described the town as a ‘super diverse’ community, and staff were culturally competent.
Inspectors said: “Leaders were working to implement a function to translate website information into languages other than English. Some people told us about long wait times when contacting the service by telephone.”
Carers told the CQC about positive experiences and had access to a sitting service which “gave them time to maintain their wellbeing”.
Some people were found not to have had any contact with someone from the council for months, which the CQC said indicated “an area for review by leaders”.
The report also stated: “It was a mixed picture related to people having access to sufficient care and support to meet demand, with people not always being able to access support when, where and how they need it.”
When the service was inspected, 43 were waiting for a care service, with 15 of those in hospital.
Inspectors said: “Carers spoke about some services being oversubscribed, limiting opportunities for people with learning disabilities to engage, develop, and socialise.”
Despite this, unpaid carers said they had positive experiences of working with the council.
Safeguarding within the service was found to be effective, and a higher proportion of people (84.32 per cent) who used services reported feeling safe compared to the average in England of 80.93 per cent (Survey of Adult Carers in England, (SACE) 2024-2025).
Out-of-hours systems were described as robust, with “people having access to support with a one-hour response target, which staff told us they rarely exceeded”.
The report stated: “Information sharing protocols were safe, secure and timely. We received mixed feedback about arrangements to support safe transitions for people moving from child to adult services.”
Cllr Mahmood reacted to the report. He said: “Achieving a ‘good’ outcome at a time when demand and pressures for social care services are high nationally speaks volumes about our teams’ hard work and resilience.
“However, we are not complacent and recognise there is always room to further develop, but this inspection gives us a strong base to build on as we continue improving.
“We are an ambitious council with a clear commitment to giving residents the best possible support, tackling inequalities, and removing barriers so that everyone in Luton can live well and feel part of our community.”