The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Torbay Council as good, in how well they are meeting their responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support under the Care Act (2014).
CQC has a new duty under the Act to assess how local authorities work with their communities and partners to meet their responsibilities. This includes promoting the wellbeing and independence of working age disabled adults, older people, and their unpaid carers to reduce their need for formal support where appropriate. Where support is needed it should provide people with choice and control of how their care needs are met.
CQC looked at nine areas spread across four themes to assess how well the authority is meeting their responsibilities in order to create their good rating. CQC has given each of these nine areas a score out of four with one being the evidence shows significant shortfalls, and four showing an exceptional standard.
1. assessing people’s needs: 2
2. supporting people to lead healthier lives: 3
3. equity in experience and outcomes: 2
4. care provision, integration and continuity of care: 3
5. partnership and communities: 3
6. safe pathways, systems and transitions: 3
7. safeguarding: 3
8. governance, management and sustainability: 2
9. learning, improvement and innovation: 3
Chris Badger, CQC's chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said:
"Our assessment found Torbay Council was giving people good access to adult social care services that were person-centred and put their wellbeing first. Behind this was a real focus on forging strong partnerships between organisations providing people’s health and social care, and making sure people’s journey through the system was as seamless as it could be. Adult Social Care is delivered through an integrated care organisation, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.
"One example of this was the authority's long-standing partnership working with the community and voluntary sector which was resulting in more responsive care. People told us services were joined-up, with staff able to respond in a person-centred way by supporting people signposting and linking in with partners agencies. We also heard examples of staff advocating for people when health partners wanted to discharge them from hospital too quickly, and of care packages being arranged within hours when needed.
"The authority worked closely with the voluntary sector, which acted as the first point of contact for people seeking support. Around 84% of calls received by the authority were resolved by voluntary organisations, ensuring people got timely help. This approach also reduced pressure on the authority’s own formal services while still meeting people’s needs effectively.
“Staff also demonstrated a strong commitment to early intervention, with good examples of avoiding unnecessary care home admissions by giving people the support to remain independent at home, and by using technology.
“Unpaid carers reported very high satisfaction levels and felt well supported, with many being able to access support groups, short breaks and emergency respite when they needed it.
“However, there are areas that need improvement. While urgent assessments were completed quickly, there were significant waiting times for care plan reviews, with only 44% of people receiving them in a timely way. The authority has recognised this and taken action by working with community partners to reduce the backlog.
“Torbay Council should be pleased with the many positive findings in our report and are already building on this with further improvement plans. We look forward to returning to see how they've progressed in addressing the areas for development."
The assessment team found:
- People consistently described thorough, person-centred assessments with their views and preferences listened to and acted upon, helping them maintain independence and control.
- Around 90% of people who received short-term support no longer needed it afterwards, demonstrating effective reablement that helped people regain confidence and reduce dependency on formal services.
- People with learning disabilities had been meaningfully involved in improving accessibility, creating training materials that led to real changes like adjusting appointment times to accommodate bus pass usage.
- The voluntary sector was embedded at the front door, with about 84% of calls resulting in needs being met through community support rather than the authority’s statutory services.
- Unpaid carers reported very high satisfaction, with 91.67% having enough time to care for other people they're responsible for, and 54.89% able to access a support group or someone to talk to in confidence.
However:
- Supported living placements were difficult to source, particularly for people under 65, with average waiting times of 68 days compared to 5.5 days for homecare.
- IT systems were outdated and fragmented, undermining staff confidence in data accuracy and creating barriers between health and social care teams that slowed practice and reduced time available for direct care.
- Some staff told us they experienced inconsistent leadership depending on which team they were in.