Assessment framework for local authority assurance

There is a continuous learning approach to using data to understand people’s experiences. This is supported by extensive and embedded trust and engagement with communities, including groups whose voices are seldom heard. This insight helps to identify and address the reasons why people decline services. 

Strategic plans and resources are evidence-based and focused on reducing inequalities across adult social care, with sustained impact over time. People and communities are empowered, and the local authority fosters belonging by prioritising support for marginalised groups, leading to improved outcomes and experiences. A diverse range of services meets local needs, including sensory and intersectional needs. 

Staff demonstrate strong cultural competency and are consistently trained and supported to engage effectively with all communities, fostering a culture of continual learning. A diverse and inclusive workforce contributes to more equitable experiences and outcomes for people. 

Equality impact assessments are embedded across decision-making, commissioning, and partnerships, actively addressing known inequalities and showing sustained impact over time. 

Appropriate inclusion and accessibility arrangements are strengthened through work with voluntary and community groups, with sustained positive impact. Digital exclusion is identified and reduced by upskilling staff and people who use services. Information and advice are continually evaluated, including digital access and intersectional needs, and improvements show sustained impact. 

Health and social care inequalities are widely understood, shared with partners and addressed in people’s care and support arrangements. There is evidence of sustained impact on reducing inequalities in people’s access to care, experiences and outcomes. 

Strategic plans set out a clear equity approach, using strengths-based, preventative, and digitally-enabled care models to improve inclusion, equity and outcomes. Where inequalities are identified, there is proactive engagement with communities, including those at risk of unmet needs, and evidence that targeted outreach is reducing disparities. Outcomes across population groups, including those with protected equality characteristics and intersectional needs, show measurable improvement. 

Staff are culturally responsive and able to tailor care and support to the needs of diverse communities. Workforce plans prioritise recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects local communities, helping to build cultural proficiency and trust. 

Equality impact assessments are embedded, co-produced with communities, and reflect what matters to them. This leads to tangible improvements for people and communities experiencing inequalities. 

The local authority considers its Public Sector Equality Duty (Equality Act 2010) in the way it delivers the regulated care functions under Part 1 of The Care Act (2014), promoting corporate equality, diversity and inclusion goals, and adult social care outcomes. 

Appropriate inclusion and accessibility arrangements are in place, and barriers resulting from digital exclusion are identified and addressed so people can engage in ways that work for them. Everyone can consistently access information and advice in formats that meet their needs, regardless of digital ability or intersectional factors. 

Health and social care inequalities are not consistently understood or routinely addressed in people’s care and support arrangements. This has a negative impact on the ability to reduce inequalities in access to care, experiences and outcomes.  

Strategies to identify and remove barriers to inclusive care and support are not embedded, and there is limited action or evidence of impact in reducing inequalities. Although there is some engagement with local communities, actions and improvements in outcomes and experiences remain inconsistent, including for people with protected equality characteristics. 

Staff are not consistently aware of how to meet the diverse needs of people who experience inequalities, including unpaid carers and those with sensory or intersectional needs. Leaders do not consistently prioritise developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of the local community. 

Equality impact assessments inform decisions and strategies to reduce inequalities, but they are not embedded or consistently used to assess how policies or service changes affect different groups, particularly those with protected equality characteristics.

The local authority may not consistently consider its Public Sector Equality Duty (Equality Act 2010) in the way it delivers the regulated care functions under Part 1 of The Care Act (2014), promoting corporate equality, diversity and inclusion goals and adult social care outcomes. 

Inclusion and accessibility arrangements recognise diverse communication needs, but they are not consistently tailored to communities less likely to engage, and barriers such as digital exclusion remain. Information and advice are offered in different formats, but some accessibility gaps persist, which limit people’s ability to make informed choices, particularly for those facing digital or intersectional barriers. 

Health and social care inequalities are not understood or addressed in people’s care and support arrangements or shared with partners. As a result, inequalities persist in people’s access to care, their experiences and outcomes.  

Strategies to understand and remove barriers to inclusive care and support are not co-produced and remain ineffective, leading to poor outcomes for people and communities. There is little proactive engagement with local communities to understand or address the drivers of inequality, and these inequalities persist. Services do not address barriers to access care or monitor outcomes across population groups, including those with protected equality characteristics. 

Staff are not equipped to meet the diverse needs of people who experience inequalities, including unpaid carers and those with sensory or intersectional needs. This results in persistent disparities in outcomes and experiences. Leaders have not prioritised building a workforce that reflects the local community, which limits the ability to deliver equitable care and support. 

Equality impact assessments are not completed or used to analyse how new or changed policies, services, or decisions might affect different groups, especially those with protected equality characteristics. 

Time and resources are not allocated to address challenges. As a result, the local authority does not consider its Public Sector Equality Duty (Equality Act 2010) in the way that it delivers the regulated care functions under Part 1 of The Care Act (2014) and adult social care outcomes. 

Inclusion and accessibility arrangements are insufficient, and people cannot engage in ways that work for them. Staff lack confidence in meeting cultural needs or addressing barriers such as digital exclusion, with limited training to support this. Information and advice are not consistently accessible or aligned to people’s needs, creating significant barriers to accessing support and resulting in inequitable experiences and outcomes.