Sunderland City Council: local authority assessment

The local authority told us challenging inequalities was a key priority. Partners told us there had been a positive response to unrest in the summer of 2024 and the local authority had worked well with partner agencies to promote cohesion in local communities. Whilst there was a positive response, the local authority subsequently identified factors which had contributed to the unrest. For example, lack of communication with more deprived areas and large numbers of students recruited from overseas. The local authority had made working closely with local stakeholders and partners a higher priority in the future to help improve community cohesion as a result of learning. They felt they needed to have begun work earlier with the local communities to ensure integration as they felt this had contributed to some of the unrest.

The local authority understood its local population profile and demographics. It analysed equality data on social care users and used it to identify and reduce inequalities in people’s care and support experiences and outcomes. There was an understanding of the changing demographics and how this affected equal access to services. The local authority had identified inequalities related to ethnicity, age, and disability and was using the Better Care Fund to address them. This included developing an aging well neighbourhood model in deprived wards and improving perinatal mental health support.

Leaders were informed of changes in the local population, including increased diversity in students, international recruitment in health and social care, and a rise in refugees and asylum seekers. The local authority conducted insight work, commissioned services for hard-to-reach communities (for example around men's mental health), and have implemented changes like providing more translators. They also collaborated with universities and voluntary organisations for veterans to address specific needs, especially in mental health and housing.

Staff told us about their experiences of diversity in the local area. Staff gave examples of sensitivity to cultural needs such as when working with members of the traveling community and explained that leaders encouraged active engagement with less frequently heard communities in deprived areas. For example, a service was commissioned to gather feedback on services which the local authority shared learning from with commissioners and providers.

Leaders and staff acknowledged the challenge of reaching certain groups, such as young people who primarily interact online. The local authority had identified the need for support groups for parents of visually impaired children and visually impaired members of the LGBTQ+ community and had taken action to embed these to improve people’s wellbeing. The local authority had also worked with Young Asian Voices to provide training for personal assistants, aiming to expand the market and promote adult social care access.

Since 2020, there had been an increased focus on homelessness and safeguarding. Following four deaths within the homeless community, a thematic review was commissioned, which revealed changes in the age profile and increased prevalence of mental health issues, alcohol, and substance misuse. Leaders told us the local authority are addressing homelessness and vulnerable groups as a priority: they have worked to integrate homelessness services with ASC with a focus on preventing homelessness and domestic abuse through early intervention.

The local authority proactively engaged with the people and groups where inequalities had been identified, to understand and address the specific risks and issues experienced by them. The teams worked with various communities, including African, Eastern European, and diverse cultural and ethnic groups and assisted the Bangladeshi community in developing a new domiciliary care service, by providing business and marketing guidance. The local authority had taken what they had learnt from experience with the Bangladeshi community and applied that learning when working with the African Caribbean community. The local authority used learning from a complaint to undertake some focused work with community leaders from a seldom heard group and to raise the profile and knowledge around adult social care in the community.

The Principal Occupational Therapist and Principal Social Worker both supported staff when doing outreach work which had led to improved outcomes. For example, a complaint from the Bangladeshi community where the local authority had not been sensitive to cultural needs of a family was explored. They found that the community did not feel able to come to ask for help. This resulted in some focused work with the community leaders and resource development within the community centre to raise the profile and knowledge around adult social care in the community. The local authority had regard to its Public Sector Equality Duty (Equality Act 2010) in the way it delivered its Care Act functions; there were equality objectives and an adequately resourced strategy to reduce inequalities and to improve the experiences and outcomes for people who are more likely to have poor care. The local authority actively used equality, diversity and inclusion impact assessments and collaborated with organisations to ensure inclusive practices. They collaborated with various organisations, including the local football club and large organisations within the city centre, to address inequalities and promote cultural capacity within the community.

Data analysis had been used to identify disparities in service uptake, such as lower direct payment usage among Bangladeshi communities. Data had informed decisions about service delivery, such as the need for increased cultural competence and community cohesion efforts.

There were appropriate inclusion and accessibility arrangements in place so that people could engage with the local authority in ways that worked for them, for example British Sign Language or interpreter services. There was recognition of, and action plans to address the need to support staff and enhance their cultural capability and confidence. Leaders prioritised equality and diversity in workforce development and practice, including recruitment, training, and service delivery. Staff engaged with individuals and families facing challenges such as domestic abuse, mental health issues, and substance misuse. We heard examples where staff utilised resources like translation services, men's and women's clubs, and mental health groups to support diverse needs.

Staff told us about translation and interpreter services, they also gave examples of using a communication aid app which was installed on a number of staff electronic devices which were kept centrally and could be accessed both in and outside office hours. The app allowed verbal translation, written translation, and the use of pictures to enable a total communication approach. Staff told us they had been able to access interpreters quickly and they also held a list of the languages spoken by Mental Health Advocates (MHA). An example given was when a Mental Health Advocate interpreter was able to understand the cultural needs of a person which led to positive outcomes for the person.

Leaders told us about the changing population and demographic in Sunderland. Providers and partners described how they were working with the local authority to support these changes. We saw examples of this in a provider network meeting which looked at changing demand and population, and the impact of this on staffing structures. Following this meeting there was a briefing about international recruitment, the benefits, and pitfalls and how to support care staff through the scheme.

The local authority have worked with the provider network around better care planning to reflect the preferences of the LGBTQ+ community. The local authority had delivered an equality and diversity presentation, looking at equal opportunities in recruitment and training requirements. The network were reviewing the Workforce Strategy with equality, diversity and inclusion being central to this.