OLDHAM Council has been praised for its work after its adult social care services were rated as good.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the authority’s provision in the sector, with no segment showing significant shortfalls.
It scored particularly highly in three of four ‘themes’ – providing support, ensuring safety in the system and leadership.
Areas for improvement included people not always accessing information and advice in a way that was convenient for them, particularly those who do not speak English and feel digitally excluded.
It was also highlighted people with learning disabilities could no longer access training programmes to help them gain employment, reducing their opportunities for developing skills and impacted on their wellbeing.
But Chris Badger, CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, believes Oldham Council should be pleased.
He said: “We found Oldham Council had strong leaders, who were clear about their roles and responsibilities, and had a good understanding of what was going on across the area.
“It was great to see how it had made working with local people and partner organisations a priority, so they could help understand people’s care and support needs across different communities.
“For example, the local authority and housing organisations worked together to repurpose empty properties to support people to stay independent in a place they call home.
“Our assessors saw the positive impact this had on reducing the number of people being placed outside the area.
“Additionally, the authority worked with the voluntary and community sector on projects aimed to increase people’s independence and reduce their need for any future care through a ‘move more’ initiative.
“This helped to increase people’s physical activity and reduce isolation and loneliness.
“Staff also told us leaders had created a supportive culture, where they had ongoing learning and support enabling them to deliver good quality care, safely to people.
“Overall, Oldham should be really pleased with the many positive findings in our report and their good rating.
“They’ve already told us how they’re planning to build on this further with improvement plans and we look forward to returning to see how their plans mature.”
Inspectors saw first-hand how adult social care is working with residents, with the aim of helping them live fuller, safer, and more independent lives,
People described the support they receive as “outstanding” and spoke highly of the advice they were given, including on safeguarding and financial matters.
Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Oldham Council’s cabinet member for adults, health and wellbeing, said: “This is an excellent result for Oldham and a real credit to our staff and partners.
“Adult social care supports some of the most vulnerable people in our borough, helping older residents, people with disabilities and those with complex needs to live with independence, dignity and choice.
“I am extremely proud that people told inspectors they felt supported, listened to and treated with respect.
“It’s no secret the pressure adult social care teams across the country are under. Having to deliver more with less under incredibly difficult circumstances and coming out with a result like this is phenomenal.
“This report reflects the compassion, professionalism and commitment our workforce shows every day. I want to thank everyone across adult social care and our partner organisations for the outstanding work they do for the people of Oldham.”
It was not all positive as Mr Badger added: “Feedback from unpaid carers was mixed.
“Some carers felt that accessing respite had supported their wellbeing and they could continue caring for their loved ones while keeping themselves well.
“However, others told us that there wasn’t enough respite care available, and sometimes it was cancelled at short notice which had a negative effect on their wellbeing.
“The authority also had more work to do to reduce waiting times for reviews and some assessments.
“For example, we saw some people’s care records showed their annual reviews were overdue, which posed a risk to their safety.
“However, leaders were aware of this and were monitoring the situation closely at the time of the assessment.”
But leader of Oldham’s Liberal democrats, Cllr Howard Sykes, placed many of the issues at a national level.
He said: “This report shows that staff on the frontline of our local social care services are doing a great job in what I think are extremely challenging circumstances.”
“Far too many people in Oldham are not getting the right care that they need and too many don’t receive timely care at all.
“This is because social care is badly underfunded.
“With an aging population and more people living with complex needs, we need a national overhaul of social care funding, with free personal care for all and a higher minimum wage for care workers to keep people in the profession.
“I welcome this report and of course it shows that Oldham’s adult social care target operating model is working, even if lack of national funding is making that job more difficult.”