The Care Quality Commission (CQC), has rated Warwickshire County 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: 3
2. supporting people to lead healthier lives: 3
3. equity in experience and outcomes: 3
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: 3
9. learning, improvement and innovation: 4
Chris Badger, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said:
“During our assessment of Warwickshire County Council, we found a local authority committed to supporting people to access adult social care helping them achieve the best possible outcomes. The local authority recognised the changing population of the county which grew by nearly 11% over a ten-year period and were making provisions to ensure their needs were going to be met.
“It also understood that although Warwickshire was predominantly white, that almost 11% of its community were from diverse backgrounds such as Asian, Black, Eastern European and South Asia. Leaders had really considered the needs of these communities and how to support specific groups, while showing excellence in how it continuously improved and developed services.
“We spoke to people who were happy with the care and support they received from Warwickshire. They said staff provided care that met their needs, respected their preferences, and helped achieve their goals. The local authority made it easy for people to access the advice and information they needed, and had short waiting lists which meant people didn’t have to wait long to access care and support.
“Our team found the local authority’s excellence in learning, improvement and innovation stood out during the assessment. Leaders had created a culture that drove continuous development of services, that improved people’s experiences and supported better outcomes. This was reflected in the high scores they achieved across the board in the other eight areas we looked at.
“The local authority offered a range of preventative services to help reduce people’s needs for future care, and it supported people with advice, care and equipment to remain independent and in their own homes for longer. For example, the occupational therapy team provided timely equipment and home adaptations, from simple aids like toilet frames to more tailored home adaptations.
“Leaders and staff at Warwickshire County Council should be proud of the many positive areas identified in our report. We look forward to visiting again and seeing their continued progress and development.”
The assessment team found:
- Leaders recognised Warwickshire was home to both affluent and deprived areas. As a result, they produced a series of strategic needs assessment reports which explored the needs of specific groups and helped the local authority and its partners plan services and resources where they were most needed.
- Staff were proud of the life-changing impact their work had, which made them feel empowered. They worked well together and shared a strong sense of team belonging and a supportive culture.
- Staff carried out regular reviews to ensure people received effective support that still met their needs. They used data to monitor services closely and to identify patterns or areas where they could make improvements.
- Leaders supported staff well and provided flexible training, decision-making support and opportunities to reflect and learn. Leaders valued the insight of frontline staff and used feedback to improve, which helped build people’s confidence in services.
- Staff assessed unpaid carers quickly and there were no waiting lists, helping carers find out about and access support they might need. Staff supported them through emergency services and community outreach, which helped avoid crisis situations.
- The local authority used the AskSara tool, a website helping people self-assess and access support equipment quickly. People could access a free, impartial report with tailored advice and guidance based on their responses.
However:
- The local authority needed to engage with adult social care providers more consistently during reviews.