Social care service not good enough, says watchdog

Social care for adults in Bedford has been rated as "requires improvement" by inspectors.

Three of the nine inspection areas for Bedford Borough Council were graded as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors highlighted delays in the system and failures in the oversight of safeguarding as particular issues.

The Conservative-led council said it would be implementing an improvement plan.

The CQC said people's experiences of adult care in Bedford were "varied", with some having positive experiences while others faced "significant challenges".

Inspectors described staff as being knowledgeable and compassionate, but said service users often faced delays in getting assessments and care plans

Data about delayed assessments was unreliable, with one wait being recorded as 2,299 days.

A quarter of people who needed assessing had to wait more than 90 days for the result.

The inspectors found it was sometimes difficult for people to find the right services to meet their needs, particularly those with lower-level mental health issues.

The CQC added that there were safeguarding systems in place, but there were "significant shortfalls in oversight" which "limited the local authority's ability to monitor performance and respond to risks".

Unpaid carers had reported that they found it difficult to access meaningful support.

Kate Walker, the council's executive director for adult services, said "we are already working to transform our services and improve".

"I am very pleased that the skills and dedication of our staff has been recognised, and that we work in a person-centred way to help people stay independent," she said.

Lucy Bywater, a Green party councillor in Bedford, acknowledged that demand on adult services was "very high", including at other local authorities.

"Our deepest concern is obviously around the delays in assessments and around safeguarding where our most vulnerable adults are concerned," she said.

Central Bedfordshire Council fared better, with an overall grading for their adult services of "good", and only three indicators being rated as "requires improvement".

The inspectors commented on the independent-controlled authority's "golden thread of person-centred care and support".

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