Lambeth Council: local authority assessment
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Overall summary
Local authority rating and score
Quality statement scores
Summary of people’s experiences
People and unpaid carers were generally happy with the care and support they received from the local authority. Assessments were carried out in a person-centered way and completed in a timely manner, with low waiting lists. People were supported to access information and advice when needed. People were involved in decisions about their care and support.
People were supported to live healthier lives through a range of preventative services. People were provided with equipment to remain independent at home and short-term reablement services supported them to regain independence. People had not always experienced a smooth process with major adaptations and there were some delays completing these.
People were supported to have cultural needs met within their care and support, with bespoke services developed to support diverse needs. Translation services and communication tools were used with people during assessments and support planning where communication needs were identified.
People had positive experiences when transitioning from children to adults’ services. Transition processes were clearly explained and there was clear communication informing people of transition progress.
Summary of strengths, areas for development and next steps
The approach to assessment and care planning was person-centered and strength-based. There were low waiting times across all Care Act assessments which supported people to be assessed quickly to prevent any further deterioration.
Equity was a real strength, embedded within practice, policies and support for people. People had been supported to have their cultural needs met which was having positive impact on their lives, and services were tailored to equity needs. Residential provision had been developed for the Asian and Jewish communities, as well as retirement living accommodation for the LGBTQ+ community. The local authority was working with partners to tackle inequalities with targeted projects being undertaken.
Partnership working was strong and embedded at the local authority. There were multiple partnership arrangements in place for joint working through the Lambeth Together health and care partnership. This includes the Living Well Network Alliance providing integrated community-based adult mental health services and the Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Delivery Alliance focused on a collaborative approach to early intervention and prevention.
Strengths also included learning, improvement and innovation. We heard examples of a full-time researcher who engaged with staff and people as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The local authority had also developed the ‘Pride in Care’ programme, ensuring services were inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.
Workforce development was well-supported with career progression across the local authority and clear training pathways. Multiple examples were provided on career progression and support staff had received with training and development opportunities.
Next steps and areas for development include continuation to drive uptake in direct payments, to support people to have flexibility and control over their support. National data from Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF) – SALT showed 12.75% of service users who receive direct payments, which was significantly worse than the England average of 25.48%. The local authority implemented changes at the time of assessment to support improvements such as, introduction of direct payment champions in teams. As a result of these actions the use of direct payments was increasing, and the local authority had seen an 31% increase in uptake of direct payments over the last year. Although direct payment uptake was low, this did not impact choice for people.
The local authority faced challenges with housing in the borough and a high number of people in temporary accommodation, however, in 2024/25 fewer than 1% of people living in temporary accommodation were in receipt of care and support from adult social care. The local authority was developing strategic plans and working with partners to tackle this issue, looking at future housing needs and adapted accommodation.