Agenda item

Report of the Director of Care, Health and Housing

The Board considered a report and presentation of the Director of Care, Health and Housing, regarding the Adult Social Care Performance – Self-Assessment and Annual Report (Local Account) 2024/25.

The Annual Report covered performance and activity for the previous year along with examples and case studies of where a positive impact to people’s lives had been made.

Since the introduction of the Local Authority Assessment Framework by the Care Quality Commission, the format of the Annual Report had followed each of the four CQC themes for inspection and the quality statements associated with these themes.

An accompanying Self-Assessment had also been produced to provide operational detail and Adult Social Care produced and published its first Self-Assessment in 2024 and both the Annual Report and Self-Assessment would be updated annually.

The approach taken to both the Self-Assessment and Annual Report demonstrated an open approach to success, challenges and where further development would take place to improve outcomes for people with care and support needs and their unpaid carers within Coventry.  The Self-Assessment also provided the opportunity to present the context within which CQC would be inspecting Adult Social Care in Coventry.

The production of the 2024/25 report had drawn on the pool of feedback and information 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 who had been in contact with Adult Social Care, along with their families and carers.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Councillor L Bigham introduced the item, thanking the team and advising of the importance of the personal stories within the Annual Report.

The Cabinet Member for Public Health, Wellbeing and Sport, Councillor K Caan, commended the strategic partnerships in sport which worked with care homes and supported mental health.

The Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, A Duggal advised the Board that relationships were strengthening between Public Health and Adult Social Care to prioritise prevention and wellbeing.

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Members of the Scrutiny Board, having considered the report and presentation, asked questions and received information from officers on the following matters:

• Changes to the front door responses and the early help team, with a better focus on signposting and prevention had affected the numbers using low-level support and short-term support. 
• Spend had increased mainly due to the increase in the minimum wage as well as an increase in the complexity of care needs. However, the Council’s costs were generally in line with the average of other local authorities. 
• How elected members could promote the work of Adult Social Care and tell the positive story that there is to tell, to support the visibility and transparency of the service. 
• The uptake of Bridgit Care for carers had been really positive and nearly 16,000 contacts had been made since February 2025. Highest access was at weekends when other services weren’t accessible. 
• There were positive relationships with all public sector partners, including the Fire Service.
• The biggest challenge to address for the service was one of hearing the voice of the most disenfranchised of society who don’t access services. This was an area that Members could help the service with. 

Members also requested: 

·  A further item on how Adult Social Care and Public Health were working together on prevention, prioritising wellbeing. 

·  The most recent LGA data showing spend comparison with other local authorities in the West Midlands. 

·  Data regarding the number of migrants delivering Adult Social Care in Coventry.

·  Communications on key facts – how Council Tax is spent etc, so Members could sell the story to communities.

·  A summary report regarding the uptake and impact of Bridgit Care.

RESOLVED that the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5):

1. Consider the Adult Social Care Self-Assessment and Annual Report (Local Account) 2024-25 and submit any comments to Cabinet for their consideration on the context of the assessment and report.