27/11/2008 - Further improvements in adult social care services : Cumbria County Council

Adult social care services in Cumbria have jumped up to a 2 star rating in its latest independent inspection, reflecting continued improvements over the last twelve months.

In its 2008 report, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) rated two of the areas it judged as 'excellent' and rated the ability of the service to continue to improve as 'promising'.

The assessment carried out by CSCI covers two specific areas for judgement - 'Delivering Outcomes' and 'Capacity to Improve'; it awards ratings from 1 to 3 stars; in 2008, Cumbria narrowly missed out on achieving 2 stars.

The grades the county council has been awarded in Delivering Outcomes in the 2008 inspection are:

- Improving health and emotional wellbeing - GOOD
- Improved quality of life - GOOD
- Making a positive contribution - EXCELLENT
- Increased choice and control - GOOD
- Freedom from discrimination and harassment - GOOD
- Economic wellbeing - GOOD
- Maintaining personal dignity and respect - GOOD

The grades that have been awarded in Capacity to Improve are:

Leadership - EXCELLENT
Commissioning and use of resources - PROMISING

With regard to the service's specific strengths, CSCI identifies that initiatives to promote health and emotional wellbeing by the council are having a positive impact; there is an effective approach to promoting quality of life in council run and commissioned services; a strategic approach to involving all groups of people who use services is ensuring they are contributing to service development, a focus on personalisation helps ensure that services are arranged in a way that meets diverse needs.

Councillor Barbara Cannon, cabinet member responsible for Adult Social Care at the county council, said:

"This is great news for everyone involved in providing these important services, and testimony to the hard work of a lot of people.

"The assessment acknowledges good partnership working and leadership, which are important in providing the best possible services.

“There is no complacency about the work still to do, though, and between now and the next inspection we will working even harder to speed up the pace of change."

Jill Stannard is the director of Cumbria County council's adult social care services. She said:

"I am especially delighted that we have been graded as 'excellent' in terms of making a positive contribution to people's lives.

"Our philosophy is very much that people who use our services deserve the same quality of life as those who don't, and that this can only be achieved by a strong commitment to involving the people who use those services, and their carers.

"This is something we have worked hard to develop over the last twelve months, and it is good to have that work recognised in this way."

Follow the link below to view a spreadsheet containing star ratings. Please contact Media Officer Alison Lister (01228 226335) for a copy of this year's performance indicator report.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is a national independent agency which reports to central government.

CSCI publish their verdict on a council's performance once a year in the form of a star rating - from 1 to 3 stars.

There are four 'performance descriptors' used to rate delivery outcomes: poor, adequate, good and excellent.

Cumbria county council's 2007 Performance Ratings for Adult Social Services were judged 1star: adequate current delivery of outcomes with promising capacity to improve.

Media enquiries to Alison Lister, Media Officer on 01228 226335