Lincolnshire's adult social services praised by watchdog

Lincolnshire County Council spent more than £234m on adult social services last year

Adult social services in Lincolnshire provide a "good standard of care and support", a watchdog has said.

The county council's services were inspected as part of a new pilot scheme by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors said the authority "showed real commitment to promoting people's independence".

But they also said more must be done for autistic people using its services, with "no social work team identified specifically to support them".

James Bullion, the CQC's chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said it was "impressive" to see how Lincolnshire County Council's adult social services were "not just meeting people's immediate care needs, but had a real focus on preventative healthcare and improving the quality of life of people living in Lincolnshire".

He added that the authority showed "real commitment to promoting people's independence and encouraging them to develop their own skills, with the aim of delaying the need for formal care and support".

"We saw a diverse range of services available aimed at doing just that, by supporting people's well-being," he added.

The Care Quality Commission said the council "showed real commitment to promoting people's independence"

In their report, CQC inspectors said: "We saw a workforce committed to understanding people's needs, and this was reflected in what people told us.

"People using services spoke highly of individual staff members and told us they generally had positive experiences because of the effective assessment and support planning process."

Waiting times for assessments and support were "minimal", they added.

However, the report raised concerns over "the arrangements for financial assessments to be carried out for direct payments and delays in the actual payment of these".

But inspectors added that Lincolnshire County Council was attempting to address the issue.

They also said there needed to be "greater clarity in the pathways for autistic people and also young people transitioning to adult services".

"The pathway for autistic people was not entirely clear, with no social work team identified to support them," inspectors added.

Last year, Lincolnshire County Council spent more than £234m on adult social service, which was 26% of the total budget.

Wendy Bowkett, executive councillor for adult care and public health, said she was "delighted" at the CQC report.

"It vindicates all the hard work and commitment our staff and partners put in on a daily basis to support those who need it to keep people as independent, fit and healthy as possible," she added.