Adult social care in Central Bedfordshire given 'good' rating by watchdog
A ‘good’ rating has been awarded to Central Bedfordshire Council after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of its adult social care provision.
The CQC looked at nine areas, across four themes, to assess how well the local authority is meeting its responsibilities.
Each of these nine areas was given a score out of four by the CQC to reach its overall grading, with one suggesting the evidence shows significant shortfalls and four being an exceptional standard.
CBC was rated three for:
- care provision, integration and continuity of care;
- partnership and communities;
- safe pathways, systems and transitions;
- governance, management and sustainability;
- learning, improvement and innovation;
- and safeguarding.
For assessing people’s needs, supporting people to lead healthier lives, and equity in experience and outcomes CBC was graded two out of four.
Under the Care Act 2014, the CQC has a new duty to assess how local authorities work with their communities and partners to meet their responsibilities.
Where support is needed, CBC should provide people with choice and control of how their care needs are met, said the CQC.
Its assessment team found service users could access equipment and minor home adaptations quickly, including preventative measures like flashing doorbells for people with hearing loss, often without needing a full assessment first.
CBC’s governance and leadership were clear and effective, with risks well understood and plans in place to manage them, including around the stability of the care market and workforce pressures, explained the CQC report.
“Its own development Caddington Park has been designed with the people living there at every stage. This will provide specialist homes for around 75 residents with complex mental health needs, people with autism and those with learning disabilities, as part of a wider community of around 800 homes.
“CBC’s safeguarding arrangements are strong. Staff could always access an experienced colleague for help, and they made sure support was fit for purpose by including feedback from people with lived experience.
“But direct payment take-up was below the national average, and some residents said they hadn’t been told about the option or found the process difficult to navigate without adequate support.
“Some voluntary and community sector partners felt they weren’t always treated as equal partners, while others said they weren’t as involved in decision-making as they wanted to be.”
The CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care Chris Badger said: “CBC is delivering good access to adult social care services for most people in the area.
“We found strong leadership, effective partnerships and a real commitment to improving people’s lives. This was reflected in what they told us about their experiences.
“External funding is being used strategically to prevent admissions in the first place. It’s encouraging to see how the council has invested in technology-enabled care, helping residents maintain their independence at home.
“For one couple, this meant the partner receiving care could keep enjoying their daily walks, while the unpaid carer felt reassured and less anxious about their safety. The authority was working well with partners to secure good outcomes for residents.
“CBC has done thoughtful work to reach some communities that are less likely to engage, including the gipsy, Roma and traveller communities. This is especially important in Central Bedfordshire, which has the third largest such community in the country.
“But more work is needed to ensure all communities are supported to have the same access to adult social care, and to support autistic and deaf people.
“Leaders recognise this and have a clear plan to put individuals at the centre of decisions and services, and to expand preventative support to ensure all community groups achieve the same positive outcomes.”