THE service that looks after vulnerable and elderly adults in Devon has been told it still requires improvement but that a “number of strengths” mean it’s close to securing a ‘good’ rating.

The Care Quality Commission, which assesses how adult social care departments are performing, has rated Devon County Council as “requires improvement”.

However, the council has highlighted that its score was just 1 per cent away from securing a higher ‘good’ rating thanks to the progress it is making.

Services are rated across nine areas, with each one given a score between the lowest ‘1’ and the highest ‘4’.

Devon secured a score of ‘3’ in four of the areas, but ‘2’ in the other five.

Major areas of improvement included a steep drop in extended waiting times, with the longest wait for a care assessment falling from 2,337 days in February 2025 to more than 90 days by August last year.

Elsewhere, the number of people waiting for financial assessments has also dropped, falling from 3,380 in early 2025, to 1,098 by April this year.

Mary Cridge, the CQC director of adult social care and local authority assessment, said Devon’s predominantly rural make-up and a “rapidly ageing population” were reflected in the pressures on the service.

“While we found a number of strengths, our assessment also identified areas where people’s experiences need to improve,” she said.

“We saw several positive findings, underpinned by staff who demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting people effectively. Assessments were person-centred and focused on people’s goals and independence, and people’s satisfaction levels and sense of control over their daily lives were above the national average.”

Ms Cridge added Devon’s reablement services performed “particularly well”, with nearly 96 per cent of people receiving short-term support no longer needing ongoing care – compared to a national average of 79 per cent.

But she said “many people were waiting too long” for assessments, reviews and safeguarding responses, with 546 people on the safeguarding waiting list at the time of the visit and the longest wait reaching 146 days.

The council said the report noted the “significant strengths in its approach to adult social care”, with more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of Devonians satisfied with the care and support they get, which is higher than the national average.

Councillor Richard Keeling (Liberal Democrat, Chudleigh & Teign Valley), Devon County Council cabinet member for adult services, said: “We’re disappointed to miss out on a rating of good by a single point, but this CQC report doesn’t diminish our commitment to supporting vulnerable adults.

“Anyone who reads the report will see there has been a huge amount of improvement in Devon over the past year and progress has continued since. That’s despite the ongoing increase in demand for social care.

“Credit goes to our staff for their hard work and dedication and we thank them for their passion and commitment in making those improvements.

“Our Living Well in Devon programme, which hadn’t launched at the time of the CQC inspection, is having a positive impact. I’m confident this programme will ensure improvements will continue.”

Councillor Jess Bailey (Independent, Otter Valley), Devon County Council’s chair of the health and adult care scrutiny committee, said: “We all share in the disappointment at the outcome of this report, but everyone is aware that improvements can be made and they are committed to achieving that. “Change is already being felt in many areas, but we need to see further improvements. Our committee will continue to maintain oversight of these vital services in Devon.

“We’re listening to the perspectives of those who are directly affected by these care services and we will be working to strengthen links with them in order to gain their perspective.”

The CQC praised the council’s “strong strategic and operational leadership alongside a “strong culture of learning and improvement”, while significantly reducing assessment waiting times for autistic people.

But it flagged other issues, including the fact the council “wasn’t addressing concerns raised by unpaid carers, particularly in rural areas”, while its online forms were not deemed easy enough for some people with learning disabilities.

The CQC’s Ms Cridge added: “Leaders and staff at Devon County Council recognised the areas where improvement is needed and had plans in place to address these challenges. We look forward to seeing how these changes continue to develop and improve people’s experiences of care and support.”