Agenda item

The Cabinet considered a report of the Corporate Director of Adult and Health Services which provided an update on current issues impacting on the Adult Social Care service in County Durham (for copy of report, see file of minutes).

Councillor C Hood, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Adult and Health Services informed Cabinet that compared to the pre-pandemic period the profile of the workforce and the demands it faced had changed significantly. Uncertainty around and changes to social care reform and funding had continued to impact on the ability of the service to plan and sustain its core functions in line with key legislative frameworks. Recruitment and retention remained a challenge nationally. In Durham high turnover rates in the adult social care workforce had impacted on service continuity and workforce capacity. Despite these challenges the level of quality and assurance was extensive and was being fed into a development programme focussed on ‘reset’ as the service worked though the recovery period following the pandemic. Some of the key areas of reform included were included within the report. It was important to point out that mental and physical health needs and complex social care challenges were greater than ever before. The service had recently undergone a comprehensive reassurance exercise comprising self-assessment and independent review which demonstrated that service has a high degree of self-insight. This work was being used to shape the service improvement plan including the development of a refreshed quality assurance strategy. Despite the challenges faced, the service was doing everything it could to instil its vision with the hard work and resilience of staff to be commended. It was proposed that the next report to Cabinet would focus on the service preparations for CQC assurance and the wider role of the council in delivering adult social care.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.