Adult social care service 'requires improvement'

Care provided by North Northamptonshire Council's adult social care provision "requires improvement", the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said.

The health watchdog said there were "some shortfalls" across nine areas of the authority's care it assessed including support, safety, leadership and how it works with people.

However, the CQC said the Reform UK-run council did provide tailored support and staff carried out comprehensive assessments.

The council said it was committed to the continuous improvement of its adult social care services.

"Significant strides" were being made to improve the outcomes for residents, a spokesperson added.

It is the first time the health and care watchdog has assessed the council's services since North Northamptonshire replaced Northants County Council in 2021.

The CQC said many people were waiting for Care Act assessments and reviews, and leaders were actively working to reduce delays.

The authority was also told that unpaid carers were concerned about contingency planning and access to respite services.

The CQC said the council was "committed" to understanding barriers to care and support, but leaders did not analyse data consistently enough to identify the challenges people faced and how the inequalities could be reduced.

CQC chief inspector Chris Badger said the council needed to focus on improving people's access to care and support pathways and making this consistent and equitable for all.

"However, the local authority had positive areas of practice and plans in place which it now needs to build on to help improve people's experiences and outcomes," the CQC said.

"It was encouraging to hear how staff had regular contact with people they supported and provided tailored support. Staff carried out comprehensive assessments and were aware of wider risks including social isolation."

Eddie McDonald, the council's executive member for adult services, said: "We fully acknowledge the findings and remain committed to the continuous improvement of our Adult Social Care Services.

"We are confident that in the 12 months since CQC started their assessment our continuous improvement activity has delivered measurable progress and improved outcomes for our local community."

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