Council offers 'good access' to adult social care

The CQC said that the social care provided by East Sussex County Council "improved people's lives"

East Sussex County Council (ESCC) provides "good access" to adult social care that makes the lives of residents better, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found.

An inspection which assessed the local authority across nine areas found that people's views were mostly positive, they largely felt listened to and that their care plan was person-centred.

Improvements are required to specialist services for autistic people, those with learning disabilities, complex mental health needs and requiring nursing care, the CQC said.

ESCC has been contacted for comment.

Chris Badger, CQC's chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said: "What really stood out was how people felt listened to and treated with dignity."

He added: "Overall, the staff at East Sussex should be really pleased with their good rating and the services they're providing to people in the county, and we look forward to seeing how their future plans mature."

Inspectors found that, in 2023/24, approximately 10,290 people were accessing long term adult social care support with 1,975 people accessing short term support.

While the approach to assessments and care planning was person-centred, these were not always completed in a timely manner and there were waiting lists.

Data provided by the council showed the average wait for Care Act assessments was 17 days and the maximum was 345 days.

Mr Badger said that ESCC showcased examples of "good work to try and prevent people from needing more formal, long term support" such as occupational therapy clinics and home adaptations.

The CQC also found that the council had made improvements be acting on 258 recorded complaints. For example, it reviewed the direct payments process to provide information earlier.

A further area for improvement centred around data systems, which inspectors found to be fragmented and with no single shared platform across health and social care.

This meant care was not as joined up as it could have been.

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