Adult social care improvement plan to build on success of CQC 'Good' rating

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is set to approve a new plan to further improve adult social care in the city by building on recent successes.

An inspection report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - the national watchdog for social care - rated Stoke-on-Trent's services as "Good" overall.

The report, published in June, identified a number of positive factors including positive feedback to Care Act assessments; good early intervention and support for carers; good access to information through community lounges; good support on discharge from hospital; and a feeling of safety among service users.

Inspectors also noted a positive energy among staff and councillors to do the best for people and make Stoke-on-Trent a great place to live and work.

Now the council's cabinet is set to approve a new adult social care improvement plan that will build on these achievements while addressing areas for development.

The plan will focus on strengthening hospital discharge pathways, improving "front-door" access and expanding support in the community. It will also step up initiatives to promote activity and independent living, helping prevent the need for social care. This will be achieved through a wider use of the Live Life to the Max campaign, which signposts people to vital support and independent living help.

Service users and professionals in the adult social care sector will get better and clearer information, and support to access faster, more efficient digital services. This includes expanding on the introduction of four digital portals which can be accessed through the city council’s Live Life to the Max webpage - Live Life to the Max | Stoke-on-Trent.

Meanwhile, Community Lounges will continue to play a major part in how people are able to access adult care services in person. It follows on from figures that show the popularity of the venues - with more than 5,500 visits made to the city’s community lounges in an eight-month period. More details about community lounges can be found here - Home page - Communities Together.

Councillor Lynn Watkins, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and All Age Commissioning, said: “At the time the CQC rating was announced we said that this was tremendous news for the city but, also, that we would not rest on our laurels and keep striving to improve.

“So we have continued to listen to, and work with, residents, our own employees and partners in the sector to develop and get better.

“This new adult social care improvement plan builds on this commitment and shows a real drive to deliver safe, effective, caring and responsive services for the people of Stoke-on-Trent.

“There is a real push to help people access the support they need in the community – either digitally or in person – so they can lead the most independent and healthy lives possible.”