Adult social care at Bracknell Forest Council has been rated good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in May.
As part of the inspection, the CQC assessment team looked at several areas. They wanted to assess how well the council is meeting its responsibilities to make sure people have access to adult social care.
They concluded:
- most people could easily access the council's care and support services through multiple channels
- the council has a clear understanding of the safeguarding risks and issues in the area
- people with learning disabilities and autistic people were identified as priorities for early intervention support
- the council is generally above the national average for supporting people who are ready to leave hospital
- the council recognised there was more to do to plan for the anticipated increase in the over 65 population
- public health data and staff insight are used to identify inequalities within Bracknell Forest and how these could be addressed
- there is a strong senior management oversight. These provided visibility and assurance on delivery of Care Act duties
They also reported that staff and leaders have a close working relationship with partners in healthcare services. This means people are supported to stay healthy at home for as long as possible, or to return home, avoiding the need for long term or residential support as much as possible.
Other highlights included:
- the successful new strategy of early intervention which supports people with complex needs to remain in the community
- reducing hospital admissions and permanent care home placements by 19.3%
- short waiting times for assessments or adaptations
- over 70% of enquiries solved at the point of contact
Cllr Megan Wright, Executive Member for Adults and Public Health, said:
“This is the first assessment carried out by the CQC at Bracknell Forest and we are very pleased with the findings, which reflect the hard work done by the teams within Adult social care.
“We are always striving to provide the best possible service for our residents and will work on the recommendations from the assessment and continue to improve the provision to some of our most vulnerable residents.”
Grainne Siggins, Executive Director for People at Bracknell Forest Council, said:
“The findings of the assessment highlight the great service our teams provide to residents. Our self-assessment demonstrated that we knew our services well and had clear plans for improving the areas highlighted in the report relating to carer services and transition from children’s to adult care.”
The full report can be viewed on the CQC’s website.