Watchdog rates Dudley Council's adult social care services as 'good' - but identifies shortcomings
Government inspectors have rated Dudley's care services for the elderly and vulnerable as 'good' - but have identified areas for improvement.
Inspectors praised the general standard of care in the borough, but said it needed to reduce the length of time that people had to wait for assessments.
Chris Badger, chief inspector of adult social care at the Care Quality Commission, praised the authority for its willingness to learn and improve services, and said staff had the right skills and experience for their roles and were committed to helping people retain as much independence as possible.
But gaps were identified in support for people under 65, and recommended improvements to how information was gathered for safeguarding purposes.
“During our visit to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, we found a forward-thinking local authority with leaders focused on developing services and improving outcomes for people," said Mr Badger.
“Leaders had created a culture of continuous learning, improvement and development to help people experience effective services that helped them achieve the best possible outcomes."
He praised the authority for collecting feedback about people's experiences, and using this to inform strategies, improvements and decision making.
“It was encouraging to see how staff helped people understand their needs and explore their care and support options. They supported people to increase or maintain their independence by providing support and activities through a preventative approach. In one example, staff had monitored a person’s changing care needs and, through careful planning, gradually reduced their support needs from 24 hours a day to 10 hours a week, as they began to live more independently," he said.
He said strong leadership provided clear direction and vision for the future to help improve people’s outcomes and experiences.
"Leaders had ambitions to provide services that were as community-focused and collaborative as possible to best meet people’s needs," he said.
“However, the local authority needed to reduce the time people waited for care assessments, as delays had a negative impact on people."
Mr Badger said leaders had plans in place to manage and reduce waiting times and risks for assessment, care planning and reviews.
“Leaders and staff at Dudley should be proud of the many positive findings of our report," he added.
Councillor Andrea Goddard, cabinet member for adult social care, said the rating reflected the dedication of the authority's skilled and compassionate workforce, and the strength of community partnerships.
“We are incredibly proud to receive this ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission, but even prouder the inspectors recognised the way we work with people who use our services, not just for them," she said.
“While we know there is more to do, we remain relentlessly focused on improving outcomes and ensuring every person in Dudley borough feels valued, heard and well supported.”
