OXFORDSHIRE’S Adult Social Care chief has been appointed to a new role with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to help improve standards of care across the country.

County council director of adult social care Kate Terroni will take on the role of chief inspector of Adult Social Care (ASC) in May.

She replaces Andrea Sutcliffe CBE, who left in December to become chief executive and registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Ms Terroni said: “It is a real privilege to have the opportunity to build on the work of Andrea Sutcliffe; having an unrelenting focus on quality outcomes for individuals through top quality care.

“To date I have spent my career within local government as a qualified social worker, running operational teams, commissioning services and finally having the opportunity to serve as director of adult social care at Oxfordshire County Council.

“This is an incredibly important time for adult social care, awaiting the Green paper, while at the same time encouraging the delivery of high quality care in a challenging environment.

“I am passionate about putting people who use services and their families at the heart of everything we do.

"I believe that we can improve outcomes for people through ensuring the availability of good quality care and that we regulate in a way which encourages services to integrate around the individual.”

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care across England, inspecting hospitals, hospices and care homes, and helps to make sure services provide people with safe and high-quality care.

Chief executive Ian Trenholm said he was confident Ms Terroni's appointment would help ‘drive up’ standards in adult social care.

He added: “Kate has a strong track record in social care and her passion and commitment to improving outcomes for people is evident throughout her career.”