County's adult social care offering improves

West Sussex County Council says it is celebrating after receiving a 'good' rating from the Care Quality Commission

West Sussex County Council has improved the way people access adult social care, inspectors have said.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the council had made good progress since launching its two-year improvement programme in April 2023.

As such, the regulator rated the council as "good" in how it met its responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support under the Care Act (2014).

Councillor Amanda Jupp, cabinet member for adult social care, said the new rating was "recognition of the journey we've been on to improve our services".

The CQC has a new duty to assess how local authorities work with their communities and partners to meet their responsibilities.

Councils are assessed on leadership, providing support, how well they work with service users and how they ensure safety.

'Aware of issues'

James Bullion, the CQC's chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said the council's preventative services were helping people remain independent for longer and that staff had a clear understanding of deprivation, seldom-heard groups and the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Mr Bullion said the council was aware of gaps in its services, including for people with complex needs, younger people with dementia, and those requiring emergency respite.

"Overall, West Sussex County Council is building on what works, tackling what needs to change and delivering better outcomes for people, carers, and communities across the county," he added.

Ms Jupp said the new rating was "a great achievement" given ongoing pressures in social care locally and nationally.

"The findings reflect the progress we have made through our two-year improvement programme and confirm that our adult social care strategy is working," she said.

"We remain committed to prioritising the safety and wellbeing of our residents, addressing the areas for improvement and ensuring that our services continue to evolve to meet the needs of our communities."