Walsall Council told to improve adult social care services by independent health regulator
Walsall Council’s adult social care department has been told it ‘requires improvement’ by an independent regulator.
The report published today by the Care Quality Commission states that the council has ‘evidenced shortfalls’ in eight out of nine categories.
Key themes raised throughout the inspector’s report included inconsistent frontline practices around assessments, case recording and poor communications around community support options.
Also mentioned was the closure of the one-stop-shop at the civic centre which meant those needing support struggled to access it.
Throughout the report there was positive feedback for the department, describing it as having ‘a clear vision, with new developing strategies and a community team atmosphere’.
Latest figures from 2023-24 show that nearly 6,000 residents in Walsall were accessing support from the department.
From the same year, £122million was spent on adult social care services out of the council’s £543million budget.
Portfolio holder for adult social care, Councillor Keir Pedley, said the new rating was ‘disappointing’.
He said: “We are committed to providing our residents with the best possible adult social care services.
“Whilst we don’t recognise everything in the report and the resulting score of this assessment is disappointing, it highlights many areas of positive practice and performance across the service and provides us with valuable reassurance that our current areas of focus for improvement are the right ones.
“We take the results of this report very seriously, and I’d like to reassure our residents that we have a clear vision for change.
“An improvement action plan is already in place, and I’m confident the service will deliver improvements quickly and efficiently for those areas which need focus, as well as strengthening areas of good practice.”
