'Unacceptable waits' for adult care services

Inspectors found "significant shortfalls" (picture posed by models)

People using adult social care services in Hull are waiting too long for assessments and suffering from "prolonged uncertainty", a watchdog has said.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the service run by Hull City Council "requires improvement".

It found there were waits of up to 853 days for assessment by occupational therapists – who help people improve their ability to do everyday, practical tasks – and up to 867 days for annual reviews.

Councillor Linda Chambers, the council's portfolio holder for adult services and public health, said she was confident the "necessary improvements" could be delivered.

Inspectors found there were "significant shortfalls" in two of the nine areas covered in the report, including assessing people's needs and supporting people to lead healthier lives. Five other areas had "some shortfalls".

Safeguarding was of a "good standard", along with the council's work to ensure care and support met the diverse needs of individuals and communities.

Chris Badger, the CQC chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said there were "significant concerns" about how people's needs were being assessed, with many experiencing unacceptable waits and inconsistent support from staff.

"This particularly affected neurodiverse and autistic people, whose assessments did not always fully consider their strengths and individual care needs."

'Real benefits'

The report highlighted how some people had waited more than a year for equipment and minor home adaptations designed to maintain their independence.

However, inspectors found people had good experiences of support from the local authority when they were discharged from hospital.

The council also demonstrated "effective partnership working" that delivered "real benefits" for people, including in supported living schemes.

"For people who needed a care placement, the council placed 397 people outside Hull as of May 2025, with 227 within 10 miles of the city's border," Mr Badger said.

"Wherever possible, people were offered a choice of placement and supported to return locally when suitable alternatives became available."

In response, Chambers acknowledged the findings, but said she was pleased the CQC had also recognised "important areas of strength", including safeguarding and effective partnership working.

"There is more work to do to ensure everyone is having a good experience and I am confident that we have the dedicated workforce to deliver the necessary improvements," she added.

'Absolutely focused'

Tracy Meyerhoff, the council's executive director for adult social care and health, "fully accepted" some residents had waited too long for assessments. There was a need to "do more to support people to live healthier lives".

"We are absolutely focused on ensuring that every resident who needs care or support can access it in a timely and fair way," she said.

"We are committed to ensuring people have choice and control over the support they receive."

Earlier this week, the CQC criticised Hull's neighbouring authority, East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC), for "inadequate" adult social care services.

ERYC said it "recognised" too many residents were waiting "far too long to receive the care they need" and was working hard to address the issues raised.

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