Agenda item

Tom Cray, Strategic Director for Neighbourhoods and Adult Services presented the submitted report which summarised the result and findings of the 2008 social care Annual Performance Assessment (APA) process for Rotherham conducted by CQC (Care Quality Commission) which was published on 2^nd December 2009.

The 2009 adult social care Annual Performance Assessment (APA) identified that Rotherham was ‘Grade 4: Performing excellently’ Authority which, based upon a slightly different and now a harder test assessment methodology, was an improvement on the score achieved in 2008. The judgements were made on a sliding scale of ‘performing poorly’, ‘performing adequately’, ‘performing well’ and ‘performing excellently’.

The following outcomes were just some of the reasons why CQC had rated the adult social care service as ‘performing excellently’ this year. Progress made included:

o             Investigating an additional 275 safeguarding referrals during the year and training 2,000 staff to make people safer and feel safer,

o             Social workers undertaking an additional 1,297 pieces of activity compared to the previous year meaning that we were able to change care packages as and when people’s lives changed

o             We had reduced the average length of stay in ‘intermediate care’ services from 55 days to 35 days meaning that people were going home quicker and staying at home which was where the vast majority of people  wanted to be,

o             837 vulnerable people were given help through assistive technology such as bogus caller alarms targeting the elderly,

o             The Consultation Cafe involved over 250 users of Meals on Wheels in a direct consultation - 97 % satisfaction rating from our customers.

o              An additional 1,168 disabled people were provided with minor equipment this year to help them to continue to live independently, 

o             Waiting times for Occupational Therapy assessments had improved from 20 months to 7 weeks,

o             The Council was helping 132 more people to live at home and carried out 219 more assessments on carers than last year,

o             High levels of customer satisfaction for services,

o             There had been significant improvements in waiting times for new social care assessments and care packages, and

o             There was a reduction of 54 older people admitted to permanent residential and nursing care last year as they were able to remain at home.

Adult social care services were assessed under the methodology of the Social Care Outcomes Framework. The CQC report set out high level messages about areas of strength and areas for development for the next 12 months. The judgements were made under the following outcome areas;

• Improved health and emotional well being,
• Improved quality of life,
• Making a positive contribution,
• Exercise choice and control,
• Freedom from discrimination and harassment,
• Economic well being,
• Maintaining dignity and respect, and a separate and now unscored judgement relating to;
• Leadership, and

• Commissioning and Use of Resources.

The key areas of strength affecting people using our services noted within the CQC report were:-

• Working with partners the council could demonstrate improvement in the differences in how healthy people were
• The council had a range of information on healthy living and the activities to promote health
• The council could demonstrate positive end results for people who used intermediate care and reablement services
• Provision of assistive technology to promote the safety and well-being of people in their own homes
• The council’s work with organisations in reducing crime and making people feel safer
• The council’s approach to customer services and the way they listened to customers
• The council’s approach to working with carers and setting up systems that support direct payments for carers
• The development of a single point of contact through Assessment Direct
• The high number of direct payments for carers
• The attainment of the Cabinet Office Customer Service Excellence and compliance with level 5 of the Local Government Equality Scheme
• Implementing the neighbourhood ‘no calling zones’
• Improving access for older people from BME communities
• The council’s systems and process to support and advise the people of Rotherham and carers in accessing employment and managing their finances
• The council had raised the profile of adults safeguarding and made good progress in raising awareness
• The council could demonstrate that it managed incidents of institutional abuse and poor standards of care
• The council could demonstrate that it was fulfilling its duties as a supervisory body in relation to the deprivation of liberty standards

The key areas for development identified within the report were contained within our ‘sustaining excellence plan’.  9 out of the 13 areas were ‘continue to’ recommendations which acknowledge the progress we had made and that CQC would be ensuring that they kept a close eye upon over the next 12 months. The areas for development were:

o       The council should continue to work with NHS Rotherham in sustaining improvements in the differences in how healthy people were and to ensure that the pace of improvement is in line with national comparators.

• Continue to review and implement the findings from the review of the use and availability of adaptations and equipment and the timeliness of care packages.
• Continue to work on developing the market management strategy in order to identify gaps in the market and further support work on its services that were tailored to meet people’s own individual needs agenda.
• Continue to implement the recommendations from the CQC’s Service Inspection in July 2009.
• To increase the number of assessments completed within 4 weeks and the numbers of first contact assessments to ensure people received packages of care in a timely manner.
• To ensure that people with a physical disability and/or sensory impairment could access and use an individual budget.
• To continue the council’s work with the Young Adult Transitions team within the physical disability service, to ensure young adults from the age 14 years onwards received the care in a safe and timely manner.
• Continue to implement the finding from the Service Inspection for the development of advocacy services for all groups of people.
• Continue to invest in technology to support people feeling safe at home.
• Continue its activities to get more people with a mental health problem into employment.
• To increase employment for people in vulnerable groups.
• To address all of the recommendations from the Service Inspection relating to safeguarding arrangements.
• To continue work to ensure the council fulfilled its duties as a supervisory body in relation to the deprivation of liberty standards.

Members commented that it was important that all staffed were made aware of how much they were valued.  Confirmation was given that staff were constantly praised for their work and this was filtered down to front line staff.  The Cabinet Member wished to place on record his personal thanks to all staff for their efforts.

Resolved:- (1) That the outcome of the assessment be noted

(2) That the ‘Sustaining Excellence Plan’ put in place to improve the areas for development identified within the report be endorsed.

(3) That the report be taken to the next Cabinet meeting as a requirement of CQC

(4) That it be noted that this report will be shared with the Councils external auditors (KPMG), which was also a requirement of CQC.