Agenda item

To receive the current version of the Adult Services Self-Assessment (LASAIR) document for Northumberland, which has been developed in preparation for the Local Authority CQC inspection.  The self-assessment provides an overview of how Northumberland’s Adult Social Care Service meets the Care Act 2014 legislative requirements including a summary of the key strategic priority areas, strengths and risks and challenges.  The report will be presented by Sarah Zarraga, Senior Manager – Adult Social Care.

Members received the current version of the Adult Services Self-Assessment (LASAIR) document for Northumberland which had been developed in preparation for the Local Authority CQC inspection.  The self-assessment provided an overview of how Northumberland’s Adult Social Care Service met the Care Act 2014 legislative requirements including a summary of the key strategic priority areas, strengths and risks and challenges. 

Councillor Pattison, Cabinet Member for Caring for Adults reported that the document had been produced to look at the strengths and needs of how Adult Social Care Services met the requirements of the Health Care Act 2024 and how the Council were committed to providing a high quality service.

A presentation was shared by Sarah Zarraga, Senior Manager, Adult Social Care.

Key issues included:-

•       Legislative Context

o      The Health and Care Act 2022 gave the CQC new regulatory powers to assess Local Authorities delivery of Adult Social Care.

o      The CQC was the independent regulatory of health and social care in England with responsibility for the regulation of Providers, Local Authorities and Integrated Care Systems.

o      The independent assessment of Local Authorities commenced on 1 April 2013.

•       The CQC Single Assessment Framework

o      Single Assessment Framework for Providers, Local Authorities and Integrated Care Systems.

o      Five Key Questions – Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

o      Quality Statements – there were a set of 9 Quality Statements applicable to Local Authority Assessments.

o      Ratings – there was no change to the 4 ratings – Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate.

•       The CQC Single Assessment Framework assessed Providers, Local Authorities and Integrated Care Systems with a consistent set of key themes from registration to ongoing assessment.

•       4 Themes with 9 Quality Statements:

o      Working with people

o      Providing support

o      Ensuring Safety

o      Leadership

•       Preparation for the Self-Assessments involved:

o      An established CQC Core Team, CQC Senior Management Team and internal CQV Lead Officers.

o      Production of Quality Statement Returns which supported service areas to demonstrate how they contributed to each of the 9 Quality Statements.

o      Review and update of Policies and Procedures.

o      A CQC Evidence Library.

o      Production of Local Authority Self-Assessment (LASAIR).

•       The Self-Assessment was a comprehensive overview of how legislative requirements were met under the Care Act and aligned to the 4 themes of the CQC Assessment, underpinned by internal evidence library, updated on a quarterly basis.

•       The Self-Assessment was made up of Northumberland; Key strategic priority areas; Key strengths and Key risks and challenges.

•       Local demographics used to identify our ageing population and reference our market position statement which summarised the health and care needs of our adult population.  It referenced the Corporate Plan underpinned by Corporate Vision and Priorities with examples of integration with key stakeholders.

•       Key strengths included supporting unpaid carers, preventative support and engagement and co-production.

•       Key strengths included strong integrated partnerships, Social Work Academy and Safeguarding Partnership and Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub.

•       Key risks and challenges – workforce capacity, engagement and co-productions, direct payments and carers.

•       Timeline:

o      5 pilot site LAs inspected April 2023 – September 2023

o      20 further LACs to be inspected September 2023 – April 2024

o      Notification of inspection on 19 February 2024

o      Local Authority Return submitted 8 March 2024.

o      A site assessment to take place within 6 months of notification date

The following comments were made:-

•       One of the key risks was workforce capacity but this was the same for all other authorities.  However, the numbers of people in Northumberland requiring domiciliary care had reduced from 270 to 35 through improving processes which was a good direction of travel.

•       The strength-based approach focused on integration between Social Workers and clients to enhance their quality of life and to focus on what was going well.  CQC would see evidence of a strength-based approach.

•       We are continually looking to see what system technology could utilised for each regional groups to support different facets of adult services.  There was a current pilot for Mobilise, a web-based solution.

•       Direct Payments were particularly low in Northumberland, with authorities being under pressure to increase the numbers.  Some authorities sent Direct Payments to the carer to buy equipment, Northumberland gave the equipment to the carer in the hope to empower people to control their own lives.

•       Individual action plans were timetabled into work.

•       The LASAIR version circulated to members had been updated and this would be shared again.

RESOLVED that the presentation and report be noted.