Praise for council over adult social care even as it's told to improve

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has a new duty under the Care Act to assess how authorities work with communities to support disabled or older adults and their carers.

Now the council's provision here has been rated as requiring improvement by inspectors, when it comes to how well they ensure people have access to care.

James Bullion, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said the assessment revealed the challenges of delivering adult social care. This was particularly prominent across one of England’s most deprived areas, which was having an impact on people’s health and wellbeing.

"Despite these challenges, leaders were committed to addressing people’s needs by developing preventative strategies to help reduce their need for formal support," he added.

“Staff told us they encouraged open conversations and shared information to better support people. Additionally, 20 per cent of the team had lived experience, which helped them understand people’s needs."

The assessment team voiced challenges around staff vacancies, access to services, and feedback around concerns. But the authority did encourage people to be independent, it found, and feedback from carers was mostly positive, with data showing much stronger support than the national average. The report, to be published today, also praised translation and accessibility services, along with the authority's use of innovation and new technologies.

Mr Bullion spoke of challenges around assessments and funding, adding: “The authority was doing some good work such as creating a dementia friendly guide to help care homes improve their support for people living with the condition. The council is aware of the areas where improvements are needed but should be pleased with the positive findings in our assessment and the foundation they’ve built."