Care watchdog's chief inspector thanks Mum for CBE

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of adult social care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), has been awarded a CBE by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours List, prompting her to give thanks to her mum and dad for their support.

Ms Sutcliffe heads up regulation and inspection of adult social care services in England including care homes and home care and has received a CBE in recognition for her achievements and public service spanning more than 30 years.

Andrea Sutcliffe said: "I feel incredibly lucky and very grateful to be honoured in this way. Really, it is a tribute to the dedication and commitment of my team and colleagues at CQC who work so hard to improve the quality of life of people using adult social care services, their families and carers. I would like to thank everyone at CQC for making this possible and my husband David, my Mum and Dad, family and friends for their support, love and understanding."

Born in Bradford, Ms Sutcliffe grew up in Darlington. After studying History at the London School of Economics, her first experiences in health and social care was as a volunteer in the Darlington Gateway club supporting people with learning disabilities. She also had a university holiday job as a hospital cleaner in North London.

The chief inspector started her career in health and social care in Tower Hamlets Health Authority in 1986. Her roles included managing Older People's Services in Camden and Islington and Children and Women's Services at St. George's Hospital in South London.

She was an assistant director in the Social Services Department of the London Borough of Camden. She has also worked for the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) as planning and resources director. She left NICE in 2007 to become chief executive of the Appointments Commission and later chief executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) in 2012.

Adult social care: ‘Misunderstood and undervalued’

After joining the CQC as chief inspector of adult social care in 2013, she championed the Mum Test - asking the question: is this a service I would be happy for my Mum or anyone I love to use?

As she has worked to raise standards in an adult social care service that she describes as ‘misunderstood', she said: "Adult social care is a vital but often misunderstood and undervalued service. It has the potential to positively transform people's lives but poor care can have such a devastating impact. My passion and determination to speak up for people's rights, celebrate great care and make a difference so that all services meet the Mum Test remains as necessary and as strong as ever."

In 2017, Ms Sutcliffe led the completion of the inspections of adult social care services which for the first time, led to CQC ratings of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate.

As @Crouchendtiger7, she took to Twitter on New Year‘s Eve to tweet: ‘I have been utterly overwhelmed & humbled by the lovely reaction to my inclusion in the #NewYearsHonoursList’.

In total, 1,123 people have received an award in the New Year's Honours List, some 318 people received a BEM, 452 an MBE and 211 an OBE. This year, 551 women were recognised in the list, representing 49 per cent of the total.

Sir David Behan, chief executive of the CQC, said: “I am delighted that Andrea’s contribution to public services and specifically to the quality and safety of adult social care has been recognised by this richly deserved honour. I am proud Andrea works for CQC where her leadership has been exemplary."