Agenda item

To receive an update on the outcomes following the recent CQC assessment of Adult Social Care.

The Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care & Health Systems presented the report of the Director: Adult Social Care.

As of April 2023, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) had taken on new responsibilities under the Health Care Act 2022 for assessing how local authorities meet their duties for people accessing care and support.

On 19 February 2024, the Council received notification from the CQC of its upcoming assessment and requested an initial information return as part of the first stage of the assessment by 8 March 2024. The Council received notification on 24 May 2024 that the onsite element of the assessment would take place in July 2024 which included 3 days of interviews with the final report of the CQC’s assessment of the Council published on 5 November 2024. 

The CQC's findings concluded that the Council’s ability to meet its duties for people assessing care and support was ‘Good’. The report highlighted strengths in professional assessments, innovative co-production, and strong partnership working, which ensured individuals could live independently and receive necessary support when needed. It was noted that the Council's reflective practices were acknowledged, and the initial self-assessment undertaken by the Council was deemed fair.

The CQC had recognised the strength-based approaches and use of assistive technology by the Council which had delayed the need for statutory services and maintained individuals' independence. The report also underscored the importance of strong leadership and a culture of transparency, with locality teams and frontline staff being recognised for their innovative practices that had continued to improve waiting times and discharge outcomes in collaboration with health partners.

In addition to the strengths identified, the report also identified some areas of focus and continued work which included:-

• reducing waiting lists and waiting times for assessments;
• improving take up of Direct Payments;
• improving accessibility of services;
• improving the diversity and representation within experts by experience groups and Board;
• focusing on Safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberties (DoLS);
• improving communication with people in receipt of care and support services, their family and carers;
• developing the care market further; and
• focusing on employment opportunities available for people with care and support needs including with learning disabilities.

The report provided a summary of actions to be taken to address the areas of focus highlighted by the CQC as part of a continuous Improvement Action Plan.

Cabinet Members responded positively to the report and acknowledged the contributions made by Council teams, partners and service users in achieving the assessment score which reflected the Council’s commitment to providing the highest quality care and support to the most vulnerable residents in the Borough. Members praised collaborative efforts made by the Council’s Public Health and Adult Social Care teams in areas of work such as fall prevention, weight management, frailty and the quit smoking offer which has helped to reduce system pressures, alleviated financial burdens and improved quality of life for residents.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group welcomed the report and the CQC’s assessment rating of ‘Good’. He acknowledged the challenging work involved in caring for vulnerable adults and noted that whilst the rating was not higher, it was still a strong achievement made by the Council and reflected its commitment to looking after the Borough’s most vulnerable residents. He emphasised the importance of enabling people to live as independently as possible in the safety of their own homes and the need for the Council to continue to be seen as a supportive organisation that residents can approach for help and advice including access to funding.

The Leader of the Conservative Group acknowledged that the CQC’s assessment rating of ‘Good’ was one which was positive. He raised several points of clarification relating to the content of the report including discrepancies in the maximum waiting time for assessments and when targeted interventions in relation to prevention would take place. He emphasised the need for the Council to focus on home care rather than bed-based care to reduce the risk of readmissions. He also asked that the Council review the availability of independent living accommodation for young people who were looking to move out of home and whether the percentage of care providers requiring improvement was typical as the number appeared quite high.

The Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care & Health Systems emphasised that the Council’s long-standing strategy had been to ensure that enablement and the use of assistive technology were embedded into services which was an approach proven effective as evidenced by the positive feedback obtained from health partners. He also acknowledged that the Council’s current situation in terms of adult social care was significantly better than in other areas across the country and advised that written responses to the questions raised would be provided outside of the meeting.

RESOLVED that:-

a)    the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment of Telford & Wrekin Council’s Adult Social Care Services as ‘Good’, recognising that the services are performing well and meeting their expectations be noted with the assessment highlighting that:
 

·         “Assessments were conducted professionally, using strength-based approaches and focused on whole-family support to ensure people could live at home for longer.”

·          “Innovative approaches to coproduction, engagement, and inclusion, were embedded in local authority processes. These were supported by the strategic board structures and staff culture.”

·         “Strong partnership working.”

·         “Improved outcomes in supported accommodation, and enabled bespoke solutions for people maintaining independent living, delaying entry to statutory services through the use of assistive technologies.”

·         “Strong leadership and a culture of transparency and learning.”

·         “The realignment of locality team functions and responsibilities, as well as innovative use of frontline teams were improving waiting lists, and strong partnership working with health partners was improving discharge and readmission outcomes for people.”

b)   the Adult Social Care (ASC) Care Quality Commission (CQC) Assessment Summary Continuous Improvement Plan as presented in Appendix B and the implementation of it be approved;

c)    delegated authority for the Director of Adult Social Services in consultation with the lead Cabinet Member to implement changes to the plan as require be approved; and

d)   that the monitoring of the ASC CQC Assessment Summary Continuous Improvement Plan by the Telford and Wrekin Health and Care Scrutiny Committee be noted.