City of York Council must improve adult social care: CQC

An assessment report published today found there were “some clear shortfalls” in the way City of York Council met its responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support.

However, the council said it was committed to ‘delivering the best possible adult social care’. It said it was motivated to do better and that an improvement plan – which will be supported by an independent improvement partner – is being developed ‘at pace’.

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In the report, nine areas were considered to see how the council and partners support residents. The council received a one in four areas – indicating significant shortfalls – and a two in five areas, meaning some shortfalls.

People using the council’s adult social care services shared mixed experiences, with positive comments about staff but also reports of challenges in communication, planning, and accessing information.

People receiving care described council staff as “helpful, kind and considerate,” but said they often had to repeat conversations due to changes in the staff dealing with their assessments or care.

Some felt that the local authority focused on “budgets” rather than person-centred care and found the support planning process confusing, while others said they did not receive copies of their care and support plans, making it harder to keep track of their care.

There was mixed feedback regarding how adults are assessed and charged for care. While some people described the process as “timely, clear, transparent and consistently applied,” others were unhappy with delays and what they called poor communication about contribution fees, with some cases going to formal complaints.

Accessing advice and information on services was also a problem for some residents. Online resources “were not always up to date and could be difficult to navigate and understand,” while in-person and telephone support could be hard to reach.

The council has been working with a partnership called ‘Digital Friendly York’ to help address digital exclusion, offering devices and training to get people online – something which the report highlighted as a strength in the council’s provision.

There were also concerns about how well the council understands and meets the needs of specific groups, including people who are transgender, autistic, or have mental health needs.

Members of the LGBTQIA+ community and individuals with learning disabilities told the CQC they “feared” a lack of understanding and did not feel listened to.

People facing sensory challenges, such as those with sight or hearing loss, sometimes waited too long for specialist equipment and struggled to access clear information on support services.

Although the council runs several consultation forums and citizen groups, some residents believe it has not always listened to their feedback or communicated how their comments help improve services. The council said it had recently acted on feedback, for example by improving accessibility for public consultations.

“There were significant shortfalls in areas that need immediate attention,” said chief inspector.

In a statement, Chris Badger, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said: “At this inspection, we found City of York Council requires improvement in how it’s delivering adult social care for people living in the area. While we saw some committed staff who wanted to do their best for people, there were significant shortfalls in areas that need immediate attention.

“Leaders recognised the challenges they face and were engaging with staff and people using services to gain feedback, to help make improvements so people living in York have better access to adult social care services.

“City of York Council must now act on the concerns we’ve raised to ensure people receive safe, effective care that meets their needs. We look forward to seeing how their future plans mature.”

To address concerns, the council said it has has started new initiatives, including creating a post for a Principal Social Worker to lead on quality assurance and better engagement with people using adult social care services.

“We are really motivated here in York to do better.”

Sara Storey, Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Integration at City of York Council, said: “We know well that we have a lot to do – and we are really motivated here in York to do better. Our ambition is not just because of an assessment’s outcome, but because we want to improve how we support residents.

“The CQC tells us they can see we are underway with, or have plans in place, for improvements across adult social care, and that these plans are already making positive change.

“These plans include reducing waiting lists, developing our preventive front door model, developing a new model for supporting people with learning disabilities and autism, and continuing to improve our direct payments offer.

“We have implemented a robust risk management and triaging system to ensure that if people do have to wait for assessments, urgent need can be prioritised to ensure that people are safe.

“Our plans need to be applied consistently as we recognise and learn from some residents’ less than positive experiences. These necessary changes will support us and our city partners to deliver the very best for residents.”

Jane Timson, Chair of City of York Safeguarding Adults Partnership, added: “We take the findings of this assessment very seriously, as people in the City of York deserve timely and high-quality care and support.

“The assessment highlighted concerns about our systems and the processes we have to manage safeguarding. We want to reassure people that we have already started making changes to ensure this happens across our adult safeguarding partnership, including more robust triage and risk reduction processes.”

Cllr Lucy Steels-Walshaw, Executive Member for Adult Social Care at City of York Council, said that the report recognised the council’s strengths including the council’s commitment to core values as a Human Rights city.

She said: “We welcome this report which reflects our understanding of our services and our journey to improve and fulfil our ambition to deliver the best for all residents. The people of York need and deserve firm foundations to all services, and we are intent on improving our services while keeping residents and their needs at the heart of all that we do.”

Cllr Claire Douglas, leader of City of York Council, added that the administration “has an absolute commitment to providing the best adult social care services to the residents of this city” and that she looked forward to swift progress.

The full report can be found on the CQC’s website.