A report has been published on Derby City Council’s adult social care services, following an inspection from the Care Quality Commission, that outlines how the services require improvement.
In response to the rating, the city council has noted the areas that are in need of improvement however it has also noted that the inspectors recognised substantial progress that has been made in recent years, whilst also reiterating its commitment to delivering the best possible social care services for older and vulnerable adults.
Positive outcomes from the report were that the CQC found several strengths relating to a positive working culture, and a focus on needing to meet the diverse needs of all residents, whilst also highlighting the strong partnerships that the council utilises. These partnerships include integrated health care.
Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Care, Cllr Alison Martin, said:
“I am pleased that the CQC recognises that leaders at Derby City Council have good oversight of adult social care and that we are taking steps to improve the service.
“Since Labour took control of the Council last May, I have been working alongside officers to bring about improvements because we had inherited from the Conservative-led Council many long-standing problems, such as significant backlogs and lack of engagement with service users.
“We are now listening to and working with carers and under-represented groups, we have a programme of care reviews in place and some backlogs have been cleared.
“There is more work to do and, in spite of the enormous budget pressures there are in social care, we have an improvement plan in place to ensure the best that can be delivered for people in Derby is delivered.”
This report comes against the backdrop of significant social care pressures for local authorities across the UK, with increased demand for services and tighter budgets hampering many councils.
Andy Smith, Strategic Director of People Services, added:
“We’re committed to working across the service and with our partners to ensure that Adult Social Care services continue to develop and improve. We have a committed workforce across Adult Social Care, who work hard with some of our most vulnerable people in the city.
“As always, we will continue to listen to the views of service users, their families, and care providers to inform our work and provide the best service possible.”
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