After being told it 'needed improvement' after an evaluation conducted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January 2024, Gloucestershire County Council has approved a £4 million investment plan to help 'turn Gloucestershire's adult services around'.
The proposals for the investment were unanimously agreed on and will lead to an 18-month contract with an 'improvement partner.'
According to local democracy reporter, Carmelo Garcia, chiefs at Shire Hall hope the plan will be a 'smart' investment which will lead to better care, stronger teams and more long-term confidence.
When the report was presented to councillors by adults' support and independence cabinet member Kate Usmar during a meeting in September 2025, it included an emphasis on the expectation that the county will see its over-85 age demographic double within the next two decades.
Kate said: 'We've got no prospect of a matching increase in funding to meet this need.
'We are working hard but how do we know what we are doing works when we're lacking systems to adequately monitor the effects of what we do.'
She went on to explain the responsibility of the council in 'supporting residents to maintain their health, wellbeing and independence for as long as possible,' before insisting that its teams are 'working hard to change how they support people' with a focus on early intervention.
She added: 'To do this well, at speed and within budget, we need expert help.
'The improvement partner will bring in specialist skills to measure what we are doing, make sure changes last and support our teams to do more for themselves.
'They will be training, building up our own staff so we can carry on the work long after the contract ends.
Kate also touched on the CQC assessment, saying that it 'isn't a comment on our staff' but it is 'a wake up call' to change the way it does things.
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