An assessment of Adult Social Care Services in South Gloucestershire carried out last year found that the council delivers good quality care, centred around those it supports, but also highlighted where more work is needed to ensure that every individual and all groups receive the same high standard of support.
The assessment was carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) between April and October last year and looked at how the council worked with the people it supports; the quality of the support provided; how it ensures people receiving help are kept safe; and evidence of how council leadership is driving improvements in the system.
The overall rating was 59 per cent, just four per cent short of a Good rating, but the CQC assessment was that service Requires Improvement. They were clear, however, in their confidence that the council is aware of the issues the CQC identified as needing to improve, and that there are plans in place to address them, which are already showing results.
The CQC report, published on Thursday 8 May, found that the way the council supports people to live healthier lives; its work with partners and communities; and the quality of its learning, improvement and innovation, was assessed as being Good.
It is from this strong base, and through the dedication and hard work of its staff, that the council believes it is in a strong position to make the improvements needed to achieve a Good overall rating, and to aim to ultimately deliver Outstanding services to everyone who needs them, in the future.
The areas identified for improvement included the need to speed up the time that some people have to wait for assessments of their needs; to improve the transition from hospital care to support at home; and to make sure that all carers, paid and unpaid, receive information about the support available and are able to access this more quickly.
Responding to the CQC’s findings, South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for Adult Social Care, Cllr John O’Neil, said: “I firstly want to thank all the members of our staff who worked to support the CQC in their inspection and the wider team who work tirelessly every day to help our residents who need us live as happy, healthy and independent lives as possible.
“They are the face of these services, the hard-working people who those who receive support meet every day. As leaders of the service, we accept the CQC’s findings and are committed to supporting our frontline staff to deliver an even better service in the future.
“We have plans in place to make the changes in practice that we need to. The parts of the service highlighted for improvement were all areas known to us and where we are working to make the needed changes. We have confidence in our teams to deliver and indeed, we are already seeing improvements.
“Our staff are rightly proud of the work they do every day to make our residents’ lives better, and I know they have great relationships with the people they work with. One of the things the CQC highlighted as a strength in South Gloucestershire adult social care services is the way our staff talk with and listen to the individuals they support, putting them at the centre of their care, where they should be.”
Following the publication of the CQC report, the council will formally adopt an improvement plan, and progress will be reported to the Cabinet, Council and to the Department of Health and Social Care.
The CQC assessment report for South Gloucestershire Council Adult Social Care services can be found on their website: https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/southgloucestershire-0525
