Assessment framework for local authority assurance

Page last updated: 23 February 2024

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Care provision, integration and continuity

Quality statement

We understand the diverse health and care needs of people and our local communities, so care is joined-up, flexible and supports choice and continuity.

  • I have care and support that is co-ordinated, and everyone works well together and with me.

Summary

  • The local authority understands the care and support needs of people and communities. There is a good variety of care providers, provision is resilient and there is sufficient capacity to meet demand now and in future.
  • Local people have access to a diverse range of safe, effective, high-quality support options to meet their care and support needs. This includes unpaid carers and those who fund or arrange their own care. Services are sustainable, affordable and provide continuity for people.

Related sections of the Care Act

Care Act 2014:

  • Section 1: Wellbeing principle
  • Section 3: Promoting integration of care and support with health services
  • Section 5: Promoting diversity and quality in provision of services
  • Section 48: Provider failure (temporary duty to provide services)
  • Section 77: Register of Sight Impaired Adults
  • Section 79: Delegation of functions

Required evidence 

People’s experience

  • Direct feedback from:
    • people with care and support needs
    • unpaid carers
    • people who fund or arrange their own care, those close to them and their advocates
  • Feedback from people obtained by community and voluntary groups. For example:
    • advocacy groups
    • adult and young person’s carers groups
    • faith groups
    • groups representing people who are more likely to have a poorer experience of care and poorer outcomes
    • people with protected equality characteristics
  • Feedback that people have sent to the local authority and feedback it has gathered itself through surveys or focus groups
  • Feedback from CQC's Give feedback on care facility (if available)
  • Compliments and complaints
  • Healthwatch
  • Survey of adult carers (SACE), Adult social care survey (ASCS) - see detailed metrics
  • Case tracking

Feedback from staff and leaders

  • Council adult social care portfolio holder
  • Overview and scrutiny committee
  • Principal social worker
  • Assessment and care management staff, social workers and any specialist teams
  • Director of adult social services
  • Director of public health
  • Commissioning teams
  • Local authority housing team
  • Care provision: Quality monitoring team
  • The local authority’s self-assessment of its performance for the quality statement

If available

  • Staff feedback from the local authority’s own surveys
  • Peer review

Processes

  • Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
  • Market Position Statement and Market Shaping plans
  • Commissioning strategies (including joint and specialist commissioning, housing with care and specific support for unpaid carers). Arrangements for monitoring and evaluating their impact
  • Market capacity:
    • timeliness of service provision - residential, nursing, home care and supported living services, respite services
    • availability of services to support hospital discharge
    • use of out-of-area placements and trends over time
  • Strategy for maintaining capacity and capability in the social care workforce
  • Market sustainability plans
  • Arrangements for:
    • understanding and responding to local trading conditions
    • determining a fair cost of care with providers
  • Arrangements for quality monitoring and improvement of commissioned services and for supporting improvement. Arrangements for detecting early warnings of potential failure, including for services commissioned from outside of the area

If available

  • Skills for Care data on ASC workforce turnover, vacancy rate, sickness absence and qualifications

Feedback from partners

  • Community and voluntary sector groups, including those representing:
    • people who are more likely to have a poorer experience of care and poorer outcomes
    • people with protected equality characteristics
    • unpaid carers
  • Local health partners and allied health professionals
  • Care providers, local provider forums
  • Health commissioners
  • Health and wellbeing board
  • Integrated care partnership and integrated care system

If available

  • Local Government Social Care Ombudsman feedback

Outcomes

We will not look at evidence in this category.

Best practice and guidance