CQC rates Hartlepool’s adult social care provision as ‘good’

Safeguarding and properly assessing people’s needs, were just some of the areas the Care Quality Commission (CQC) praised.

Following an inspection that analysed nine areas of Hartlepool Borough Council’s adult social care provision, it has been revealed today (Wednesday 14^th May) that the CQC rated the department as ‘good’.

When conducting an inspection, the CQC scores different areas between one and four. One means an area requires significant improvement whereas four shows an area is working at an exceptional standard.

With this in mind, out of the nine areas analysed, 77% were scored as a three and just 22% as a two.

‘At our assessment of Hartlepool Borough Council’s adult social care services, we found an organisation which had strong leaders, who were committed to making improvements so that people across Hartlepool are supported to lead healthier lives and reduce the need for formal support where possible,’ James Bullion, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said. ‘Staff at the authority were passionate about serving local people and had a good understanding of how to meet their needs.

‘It was also great to hear that they had earned national recognition as the best performing local authority for two years running in the Local Government Association Employers Standards Health Check survey. Examples included them going above and beyond to support people by delivering Christmas dinners and caring for a dog while the owner was in hospital.’

Some of the positives revealed during the inspection include wait times for Care Act Assessments had reduced – people were waiting around 13 days which has dropped from 18 – direct payments were being used to improve people’s control about how their care needs were met, and 57.76% of unpaid carers were satisfied with social services – significantly better than the English average of 36.83%.

However, like most things, nothing is perfect. The CQC highlighted that some of the council’s social care documents were too long and difficult to read, financial assessments were not always completed on time and equipment wasn’t always accessible for people with additional sensory needs.

‘The local authority has acknowledged it needs to understand its diverse communities more so it can offer the relevant support to people,’ James continued. ‘It also needs to improve its website’s accessibility for people with disabilities and develop better communication channels for people who don’t speak English, as well as those with sensory impairments so it’s easier for them to access information.’

The full report containing all the findings from the CQC’s inspection can be found in full here.

Photo by TreborReknub01 via Openverse.

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