Council's adult social care rated good by watchdog

Southend-on-Sea Council services were assessed by the regulator across nine areas

Adult social care and support in a town has been rated as good, according to a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report.

Southend-on-Sea City Council's services were assessed by the regulator across nine areas to see how well the authority was meeting its responsibilities.

James Bullion, the CQC's chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said the Essex council should be "really pleased with the many positive findings in our report and their good rating".

However, inspectors also advised the council to address digital exclusion and to ensure information was accessible to people whose first language was not English.

Mr Bullion said: "We found Southend-on-Sea City Council was delivering good access to adult social care, with a strong focus on equity, inclusion, and prevention.

"Behind this we saw good leadership, who put people's safety and specific needs at the heart of everything they did."

Areas singled out for praise included:

• Targeted outreach programmes for people with complex needs and support tailored to seldom heard communities

• People speaking positively about the care and support they received, and many saying they felt respected, involved and valued during assessments

• People saying they felt the staff they saw were well trained, competent and understood the needs of the community

Strong identity

Mr Bullion added: "Many people described a strong cultural identity in Southend-on-Sea, with a shared sense of pride in the area.

"The authority was clearly keen to tap into this sense of community, with local hubs, befriending schemes and inclusive events helping foster social inclusion."

Less positively, inspectors heard about people with complex needs facing delays accessing help due to shortages in services.

People also highlighted some delays around housing adaptations and annual reviews, according to the report.

The CQC has a new duty under the 2014 Care 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.