Agenda item

Report of the Director of Adult Services and Housing

The Board considered a report of the Director of Adult Services and Housing on the Adult Social Care Annual Report 2021/22 (Local Account).  The report would also be considered by the Cabinet at their meeting on 11 October 2022.

The Adult Social Care Annual Report (also referred to as the Local Account) described the performance of Adult Social Care and the progress made against the priorities for the year.  It also provided specific examples of operational activities to support service users and carers.

Although there was not a statutory requirement to produce an annual report, it was considered good practice as it provided an opportunity to be open and transparent about the successes and challenges facing Adult Social Care (ASC) and to show what is being done to improve outcomes for those that come into contact with our services. The production of an annual report is part of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) approach to Sector Led Improvement.  This approach was launched following the removal of national targets and assessments for Adult Social Care.  This assessment framework is changing and from April 2023 Adult Social Care will be subject to oversight by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The production of the 2021/22 report had drawn on the pool of feedback and information that was gathered over the year from a range of sources including social care staff, Partnership Boards, Adult Social Care Stakeholder Group, providers, partner organisations and people that have been in contact with Adult Social Care along with their families and carers. It reflected the performance and activities as we emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and the end of domestic restrictions.

The Local Account also looked forward to 2022/23 and included summary details regarding key areas for development. These were improvements the service intends to make in order to improve service delivery, improve outcomes for people and support our ability to operate within the resources available.  The priority was to improve care and support services for adults and to create a stable provider market for the City.

The Board welcomed the report, acknowledging it was not a statutory requirement but noted the value of its content in its depth and breadth of detail about the successes and challenges facing Adult Social Care.

Having considered the report and presentation, the Board made the following comments:

·  They supported the work being undertaken to promote ASC services to the City's diverse population to ensure services were available where needed.

·  That the impact of growth in demand be monitored as the demand in growth did not correlate with an increase in funding and therefore workforce. The Board raised concerns that this may impact on the quality of care received.

·  That opportunities to diversify the workforce to reflect the population including at care assistant level be explored

·  Assurances were sought about those reasons for the increase in safeguarding enquiries and concerns were being monitored and understood

·  The Board sought assurance regarding the reported performance measures including trends in compliments and complaints

RESOLVED that the above comments be captured in a Briefing Note and submitted to the Cabinet Meeting on 11 October 2022 to take into account as part of their consideration of the same report.