The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its assessment of Salford City Council's adult social care system (15 May 2026), highlighting a number of pressures affecting residents who rely on statutory services. These include long waiting times, communication challenges and wider system issues.
As an organisation rooted in Salford's communities, Gaddum remains committed to supporting Salford City Council, as it works to address these challenges and pave the way for positive change. Our focus is on ensuring that carers continue to receive consistent, high-quality support throughout this period of improvement.
We also want to reassure carers that the assessment does not evaluate or rate individual voluntary‑sector organisations, including Gaddum. The findings relate solely to the local authority's adult social care functions.
Ben Whalley, CEO at Gaddum, commented,
"The CQC report provides a clear picture of the pressures facing adult social care in Salford. It is important to be clear that this assessment focuses solely on Salford City Council's adult social care functions, but we were encouraged that carers who accessed commissioned carers services provided by Gaddum reported positive experiences. Their feedback reflects the dedication of our team and partners across the VCSE sector, including our relationship with Salford City Council as the Commissioning Authority.
At Gaddum, we are clear that unpaid carers deserve a system that works for them, and we are committed to playing our part in helping to achieve that. Our priority remains ensuring that unpaid carers feel supported, informed and connected, and we will continue to work closely with Salford City Council and our VCSE partners as the improvement plan progresses, ensuring carers receive the right support at the right time."
If you are a carer in Salford, you can find out more about Gaddum's carer support services here: https://www.gaddum.org.uk/carers/salford-services/
