The Care Quality Commission (CQC), has rated West Northamptonshire Council as requires improvement, in how well they are meeting their responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support under the Care Act (2014).
CQC has a new duty under the Act to assess how local authorities work with their communities and partners to meet their responsibilities. This includes promoting the wellbeing and independence of working age disabled adults, older people, and their unpaid carers to reduce their need for formal support where appropriate. Where support is needed it should provide people with choice and control of how their care needs are met.
CQC looked at nine areas spread across four themes to assess how well the authority is meeting their responsibilities in order to create their requires improvement rating. CQC has given each of these nine areas a score out of four with one being the evidence shows significant shortfalls, and four showing an exceptional standard.
1. assessing people’s needs: 2
2. supporting people to lead healthier lives: 2
3. equity in experience and outcomes: 2
4. care provision, integration and continuity of care: 2
5. partnership and communities: 3
6. safe pathways, systems and transitions: 2
7. safeguarding: 3
8. governance, management and sustainability: 2
9. learning, improvement and innovation: 3
Chris Badger, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said:
“At our inspection we found West Northamptonshire Council needed to make improvements to help people have consistent experiences of getting the support they needed. However, we also found positive areas which included how leaders were committed to keeping people safe and working in partnership to deliver the best possible outcomes.
“People told us they had mixed experiences of accessing care. While some people had their assessments quickly, others experienced delays in progressing through local authority processes, which included difficulties contacting relevant teams by telephone. Most people felt listened to by staff who considered their individual needs and preferences while including their family and unpaid carers in care planning.
“Some unpaid carers said the local authority hadn’t offered them an assessment and they had difficulties contacting someone in a crisis. They valued respite services and direct payments but found the processes slow and confusing.
“However, we were encouraged by how leaders had improved management of the local authority since it was initially formed as part of a local government restructure in 2021. They had put in place clearer structures and more inclusive leadership. They were committed to continuous improvements in this area and creating stability in the leadership team.
“West Northamptonshire worked well with partners and communities to support people’s independence and focus on preventative care. Leaders ensured staff had more training and put longer-term planning in place for people’s care.
“We have told West Northamptonshire where improvements are needed, and it was encouraging to see the plans they already have in place to address many of these areas. We look forward to visiting again to see their progress.”
The assessment team found:
- The local authority’s data system had changes made which had resulted in gaps in reporting. Leaders had begun to fix this and put more focused checks in place.
- People had mixed experiences when moving between services. Some had well-coordinated transitions, but others experienced delays and poor communication.
- The local authority had long waiting lists for support equipment and occupational therapy services. There were also delays in putting care and support in place for people with complex needs, especially in rural areas.
- While leaders used people’s feedback to help shape improvements, some people wanted to hear more about the outcomes and changes made as a result of their feedback.
However:
- Leaders and staff used effective safeguarding systems and processes which made people feel safe and secure. Staff responded quickly to any concerns people had and worked closely with partners. Leaders made sure that staff who responded to safeguarding concerns had the skills and experience needed and put in place effective procedures and guidance.
- West Northamptonshire provided a range of support to help people stay independent, including reablement services, assistive technology and community services.
- Staff were committed to learning and developing services and practice. They involved people in this development as much as possible and were open to using innovative technology to help improve people’s lives.
- Leaders encouraged staff to take ownership of their own learning by making structured training pathways, protected time and resources available.