Adult social care services 'require improvement'

A local authority has been told it needs to make changes to its adult social care services.

West Northamptonshire Council has been rated as "requires improvement" by the Care Quality Commission.

But the commission said leaders there were committed to keeping people safe.

The council said the assessment reflected both the "significant progress made since the authority formed as a unitary council in 2021 and the challenges that remain nationally".

It was the CQC's first assessment of adult social care delivered by West Northamptonshire Council.

Of the nine aspects of the service that the CQC looked at, six were given scores of two out of four – meaning improvement was needed – and three were given scores of three out of four.

The council was told there were long waiting lists for support equipment and occupational therapy services – particularly for people in rural areas – and people had mixed experiences accessing care.

Chris Badger, the chief inspector, said: "While some people had their assessments quickly, others experienced delays in progressing through local authority processes, which included difficulties contacting relevant teams by telephone."

But he added: "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."

Laura Couse, the council's Reform UK cabinet member for adult social care, said: "We are very close to achieving a 'good' rating, and we will continue working together to ensure the improvements under way translate into the outcomes our residents expect and deserve."

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.