“Many positive findings” Hampshire County Council adult social care services get new CQC rating after inspection
Hampshire County Council adult social care services rated as good but some shortfalls highlighted
The adult social care services run by Hampshire County Council have been given a new rating by the Care Quality Commission.
The independent regulator rated the council as ‘good’ in how it met its responsibilities in ensuring people have access to adult social care and support.
It found that the authority proactively engaged with seldom-heard groups while tailoring its approach to their needs and said that the council should be pleased with the “many positive findings” in the report.
While the report was mainly positive, some shortcoming were highlighted including the “waiting times for assessments and reviews”. Even in such cases the CQC sad that the local authority was open about the issues and had already taken steps to address them.
Mary Cridge, CQC Director of Adult Social Care and Local Authority Assessment, said: “During our assessment of Hampshire County Council, we were encouraged to hear about the plans and strategies leaders had in place to improve people’s experiences and ensure they had access to the care and support they needed.
“We found people were treated as individuals, with respectful assessments and care planning that were based around what they could do rather than what they couldn’t. Social workers took the time to understand people’s history, emotional needs and goals, and most people told us they felt heard, valued and understood.
“We were impressed by the local authority’s innovative virtual wallet system, which gave people using direct payments round the clock access to their accounts with no paperwork. People told us it gave them real transparency and control over how their care and support was managed, whether they were paying for personal assistants or day services.
“People also spoke positively about the impact of prevention services aimed at keeping people in good health and independent for longer and reablement support aimed at getting people’s independence back after a period of ill health. They used rapid response services and technology to help them stay independent and connected to their communities. We also heard how equipment and home adaptations, such as ramps and adapted bathrooms, had transformed people’s ability to remain safely in their own homes.”
Mary Cridge added: “However, we did find some areas where consistency needs to improve, particularly around waiting times for assessments and reviews, and ensuring transitions between services always feel timely and well communicated. The local authority was open about this and had already taken steps to address it.
“Overall, Hampshire County Council should be pleased with the many positive findings in our report and their good rating. People are at the heart of how this local authority designs and delivers care, and we look forward to seeing their continued progress.”
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.
The CQC looked at nines areas across four themes to assess how well the authority does in meeting those responsibilities. Each area is rated between one and four, with being the evidence shows significant shortfalls, and four showing an exceptional standard.
How the local authority works with people:
- Assessing people’s needs - 2
- Supporting people to lead healthier lives - 3
- Equity in experience and outcomes - 3
Providing support:
- Care provision, integration and continuity of care - 3
- Partnership and communities - 3
How the local authority ensures safety in the system:
- Safe pathways, systems and transitions - 2
- Safeguarding - 2
Leadership
- Governance, management and sustainability - 3
- Learning, improvement and innovation - 3