RWK Goodman: CQC inspection trends in Devon, 2025 - What the numbers tell us

There are over 700 providers across Devon, yet CQC published strikingly low numbers of inspection reports each month throughout 2025. The data we have reviewed for the past year confirms what many providers already know from experience: CQC activity in the region remains uneven, unpredictable, and significantly below what is needed for effective regulation.

So what were the numbers? In the entire year CQC published a total of 65 assessments for care home and home care services. That’s roughly 9% of services.

Inspection volume: Persistently low and highly variable

The number of monthly reports published for care home and home care services fluctuated sharply through 2025, ranging from 2 in August to 11 in April.  Even in the best‑performing months, the numbers barely scratch the surface for a county with one of the largest concentrations of adult social care providers in the South West.

When broken down by service type, the pattern is the same:

• Care homes receive the majority of the limited inspection activity, but still at extremely low volumes.
• Homecare services see even fewer inspections — often one or two reports per month, and sometimes none at all.
• Overall: There is no month where inspection numbers approach anything proportionate to the size of the sector.

This lack of regularity makes it harder for providers to anticipate inspection cycles or prepare strategically.

Ratings: A mixed picture but limited data

Across both care homes and homecare, a considerable proportion of the published ratings were ‘Good’, which broadly aligns with local quality trends, but no services achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating in 2025. The autumn months saw increases in ‘Requires Improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’ ratings, indicating seasonal pressure points.

The principal issue is not the ratings themselves - it’s that the sample size is far too small to represent sector performance in Devon accurately.

Impact of low inspection numbers

Low inspection activity affects:

• people in or looking for care, who lack current, reliable ratings.
• Providers, who need inspections for commissioning, reputation, and improvement planning.
• Commissioners, who rely on accurate data to ensure market stability.
• The sector as a whole, which depends on credible regulatory assurance to maintain public trust.

Many providers are operating with ratings that are two, three, or even four years old. For some, this means continuing to carry old RI ratings that no longer reflect current practice, affecting local authority commissioning decisions, staff morale, recruitment and retention and overall reputation.

Providers who have invested heavily in quality improvements are waiting for years for CQC to return and reassess them.

This absence of up‑to‑date regulatory insight is concerning in a county where demand is rising and the workforce is under pressure.

CQC’s position

CQC has repeatedly stated — both nationally and in regional engagement calls — that they are committed to improving the pace and consistency of inspections. However, the Devon numbers suggest that the improvements are not yet visible on the ground. Providers continue to experience long periods without inspection activity, limited communication about scheduling, and delays in the publication of reports.

What this means for the sector in 2026

For a region with more than 700 services, these inspection volumes are simply not sustainable. The current level of activity does not provide:

• Accurate regulatory oversight
• Fair opportunities for providers to demonstrate improvement
• Timely assurance for commissioners, residents, and families

Until inspection numbers increase — and increase consistently — providers will continue to operate in a landscape of uncertainty.

Appendix A: The Tables