The Care Quality Commission (CQC), has rated Bracknell Forest local authority as good, in how well they are meeting their responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support.
CQC has a new responsibility to assess how local authorities meet their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act (2014).
CQC looked at nine areas spread across four themes to assess how well the authority is meeting their responsibilities in order to create their good rating. CQC has given each of these nine areas a score out of four with one being the evidence shows significant shortfalls, and four showing an exceptional standard.
- assessing people’s needs - 2
- supporting people to lead healthier lives - 2
- equity in experience and outcomes - 2
- care provision, integration and continuity of care - 3
- partnership and communities - 3
- safe pathways, systems and transitions - 2
- safeguarding - 3
- governance, management and sustainability - 3
- learning, improvement and innovation - 3
James Bullion, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said:
“When we inspected Bracknell Forest we found an authority providing good adult social care and support services, that most people could access easily and quickly, with little to no waiting times.
“Staff and leaders have a close working relationship with partners in healthcare services which meant people were 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.
“For example this included a successful new strategy of early intervention which supported people with complex needs to remain in the community. This had reduced hospital admissions and the need for permanent care home placements by 19.3% and was reducing year on year. People in Bracknell Forest were also three and a half times more likely to be offered rehabilitation and reablement post discharge from hospital compared to the national average, helping people remain independent.
“People told us they didn’t need to wait long for either assessments or adaptations, with 90% of people receiving the equipment needed to help them stay safely at home within three days. We also saw that more than 70% of people’s initial enquiries were solved at the point of contact.
“Most people we spoke with who had care needs had a choice and were satisfied with the care and support they received. Carers were less satisfied and spoke of limitations on the respite and short breaks offer, and the authority should take steps to improve this.
“The local authority also needs to make sure young people in transition from children’s to adult care services had a smoother and safer route to do so.
“Overall, Bracknell Forest should be really pleased with this assessment. They’ve created foundations on which to expand and implement their new strategy. We look forward to returning to see how they’ve done this and how their current plans mature.”
The assessment team found:
- Most people could easily access the local authority’s care and support services through multiple channels, including online and self-assessment options
- The local authority had a clear understanding of the safeguarding risks and issues in the area. They worked with partners to reduce safeguarding risks and to prevent abuse and neglect from occurring. Specific issues included the increase of hoarding and the risk of suicides, for which specific protocols and strategies were in place
- In Bracknell Forest, a partnership with other organisations had identified people with learning disabilities and autistic people as priorities for early intervention support
- The authority was generally above the national average for supporting people who were ready to leave hospital. Although timings could depend upon the care needs of the person
- The local authority understood its local population profile and demographics but recognised that there was more to do to plan for the anticipated increase in the over 65 population
- The authority used public health data and staff insight to identify inequalities within Bracknell Forest and how these could be addressed
- There was strong senior management oversight, both at a strategic and operational level. These provided visibility and assurance on delivery of Care Act duties.
However, the assessment team also found:
- The local authority did not have access to much residential or nursing care, especially for people with complex needs, which meant that many people had to be placed outside the borough
- The local authority did not currently have consistent data about performance over the last 12 months. The new Target Operating Model, whilst still being implemented, was addressing this gap
- Unpaid carers had variable experiences of assessment. Whilst they were recognised as distinct from the person with care needs, they did not always have the opportunity for a separate carers assessment
- Local people didn’t always feel they had been provided information regarding support, resources, and other measures to promote independence. This included information about grants, benefits or information about the potential for funded home adaptations. Also, the information was not always available in multiple languages.