Agenda item

Review of External Inspection Reports – Adult Social Care and Children’s Services

To inform Members of the activity pertaining to Adults Social Care and Children's Services regarding external inspections and associated actions.  This covers the period from 1st July 2022 to 31st December 2022.

Review of External Inspection Reports – Adult Social Care and Children’s Services

Members were informed of the activity pertaining to Adults Social Care and Children's Services regarding external inspections and associated actions.  The report covered the period from 1st July 2022 to 31st December 2022.  (A copy of the report has been filed with the signed minutes).

A. Hartwell, Senior Manager, Performance and Systems Support and A. Curry, Senior Manager, Commissioning presented the overall positive report.  They informed members that 84.8% of all Northumberland-based Adults Social Care providers had been rated as Good or Outstanding at the end of December 2022.  Inspections of children’s residential homes had continued and there had been three inspections during the period. All five units were judged to be Good or better.  Inspections of schools recommended in the summer term of 2021 and the findings had been positive overall, leading to an increase in the proportion judged Good or Outstanding in both the primary and secondary sectors.  Inspections of early years providers continued, and the vast majority are judged to be Good or Outstanding, similar to the national average.

Councillor Dale highlighted the Adult Social Care CQC inspection statuses and the worry that some of the ratings had deteriorated from July to December 2022.  It was confirmed where this had happened the local authority would work with the management of the settings to implement the actions required.  Where a service had been rated inadequate, the volume and complexity of issues would require more intensive and prolonged officer input. This could also require the Council to restrict new placements into a service for safety reasons to ensure the service could direct resources to rectifying problems.

Councillor Grimshaw welcomed the report and the positive inspection results.  She asked about contingency plans if care homes lost power, staff retention problems and who paid for training costs.  It was confirmed that in Storm Arwen there had been an issue with some care homes not having access to generators when powerlines had been damaged.  Many lessons had been learnt since the storm and care homes and similar providers were now encouraged to purchase generators, mobile heaters and have an approved emergency contingency plan in place.  Retention and recruitment of staff remained the biggest issue being faced by the sector.  The Council continued to support with local and national initiatives to resolve this although it remained a problem throughout the country.  Regarding training this was sometimes paid for by the home or by the staff depending on the individual setting.

Councillor Grimshaw reported that some care homes had been offered generators, but they could not accept them as they were not PAT tested.  The PAT testing was something that had not been brought to officers’ attention before but would be investigated.  It was stated that the Council was always looking at ways to improve services and the care provided in establishments.

P. Topping asked how the information and findings following a CQC inspection was fed into a risk assessment or register held by the Council.  In response it was advised that individual risks would not be incorporated but issues such as staffing would be included into the corporate risk register.  Regarding lessons learnt from Storm Arwen these were reported to the relevant overview and scrutiny committee and had been used to inform services and contracts going forward.  

RESOLVED that Audit Committee assess the effectiveness of the actions the Council takes in response to external inspections, and confirm an assurance that the Council is taking appropriate action in respect of any issues.