Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director of Adult and Health Services which shared the adult social care self-assessment document which would be required by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as part of the assessment of Durham County Council’s (DCC) Adult Social Care (for copy of report, see file of minutes).

Lee Alexander, Head of Adult Care was in attendance to present the report and advised Members that they had received notification from the Care Quality Commission that their assessments process was now live. He continued that at the end of January, they received their first notification that they had to complete a significant information return.

He stated that the waiting lists and backlog since the self-assessment was written at that point, they had 31% of outstanding reviews that figure had now reduced to 27%, coming out of covid this figure was now 41%, so they were gradually improving the position. There were 22 cases that were waiting an occupational therapy assessment that had now reduced to three. Care Act assessments that were single figures had crept into double figures and was now back to single figures and last week they were two outstanding that was in the normal range. He stated that Durham was in a strong and healthy position to manage demand.

Councillor Earley asked what the experience was from other authorities in terms of how the process was operating.

The Head of Adult Care responded that five local authorities had recently been inspected by the CQC of those four of them resulted in a good outcome with only one requiring improvement. From the feedback the CQC were still finding their way and noted that local authority delivery of Adult Social Care was consistent as far as how it was structured as each local authority was very different and the CQC did not fully understand that. They know that between now and the end of July they would have an onsite assessment visit that was an indication that things were moving more slowly.

The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer referred to the recommendations and indicated that Overview and Scrutiny had previously as part of the assurance framework for Ofsted inspections involved Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee in oversight of any associated improvement plans. He asked Members if they were minded to incorporating this into the work programme moving forward should they get to a point where Members want to revisit the drafted improvement plan or any feedback from the CQC inspection assurance framework once published.

Councillor Crute indicated that the suggestion from the Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer made sense.

The Head of Adult Care indicated that he was happy to bring a report back to the Committee after the onsite visit had taken place.

Resolved: (i) That the self-assessment document prepared for the upcoming assessment of Adult Social Care be noted.

(ii) Noted that the self-assessment will be refreshed annually, and when called upon to be submitted to CQC.

(iii) That the Committee revisit the drafted improvement plan or any feedback from the CQC inspection assurance framework once published.