Social care staff have been praised by inspectors who have celebrated a new approach that is reducing waiting times from months to weeks for thousands Newcastle adults.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has praised a number of aspects of how Newcastle City Council deliver adult social care following an inspection last Autumn.
One of the areas that attracted praise from inspectors was the city’s new Adult Social CarePoint – a new front door which has streamlined how people access services.
In the last year the initiative has received 10,642 requests for help – that’s on top of the 4,798 adults the authority already provides regular support for.
Support can range from long term care in a care home to day centres, or short term needs such as people recovering from an illness, injury or leaving hospital.
The new approach has seen waiting times for some services reduced from months to just weeks, allowing more people to remain independent.
It was one of a number of elements of the directorate that have been praised, with the CQC also recognising that partnership work was embedded across the organisation.
Other highlights included a positive focus prevention and independence, timely and effective safeguarding arrangements and strong leadership.
An action plan has now been put in place to address areas of concern raised by the inspector, including more recognition for unpaid carers.
The CQC said the council ‘requires improvement’ and need to see further reductions in waiting times and consistency in cases of those transitioning from children’s services.
Laura Choake, Newcastle City Council’s director of Adult Social Care and Prevention, today praised the dedication of staff and said the service remains committed to providing the best service for residents.
She said: “Our staff care deeply about the city’s most vulnerable residents and were rightly praised by CQC for their skills, approachability, and responsiveness.
“Every year we support more than 5,000 people with long term care needs, 1,300 people with short term support, and thousands of unpaid carers who are providing essential support for their loved ones. All while responding to 10,000 new requests for support and 20,000 safeguarding alerts to keep vulnerable residents safe.
“We know there are some areas where improvements can be made and we are working hard on these alongside residents who use these services. Since CQC visited, we have already improved response times across many areas, made our communication clearer so people know what to expect and when, and importantly we have seen an increase across all satisfaction measures in our latest carer survey.
“Like with other Councils, demands on our service are ever increasing, people are living longer in ill health and with complex conditions, while funding to deliver social care has not kept pace.
“Despite the pressures, the Council has many areas of great practice. It was particularly good to see that people found staff to be ‘approachable and supportive’, and that they ‘listened, showed respect, and responded quickly to concerns’.
“The inspectors acknowledge that many people said they have a positive experience, feel listened to, safe, supported and understood, and have confidence in their care.
“Together with the new political administration, we will focus on the areas for improvement, and work ever more closely with residents to make sure our services continue to provide the best support possible.”