The National Rural Conference 2025

Bookings are now officially open for the National Rural Conference 2025, which will take place online from Monday 15 to Thursday 18 September.
This is the Rural Services Network’s flagship event of the year, bringing together rural decision-makers, practitioners, and advocates for four days of live, interactive sessions focused on the future of rural communities.
Click here to book!

Care home inconsistency

The BBC flagged the fact that one in five care homes in England have been deemed ‘inadequate’ or ‘needs improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC said the difference in standards across the country was ‘a real concern’. In Talford, for example, 43 per cent of care homes were either inadequate or needing improvement – the highest in the country – compared with just one in 62 in West Berkshire. Nadra Ahmed, the CEO of the National Care Association, said regional variations reflected inconsistencies in CQC inspections but also difficulties across areas in recruiting staff. She continued: ‘What we know at the moment is that services in the north are more challenged than in the south.’

Full article:

→ BBC News - Fifth of care homes 'inadequate' or 'need improvement'