Vision on how social care and support is provided in Calderdale discussed

Assistant service director Jill Holbert told Calderdale councillors the Government’s new Health and Care Bill requires the Care Quality Commission to independently review and assess local authority performance.

The framework was expected this autumn but would include working with people, providing support, showing leadership and streamlining workflow.

Councillors heard the ten-year vision set out in the bill would strengthen how care and support is delivered, person-centred support giving people genuine choice, control and support to live independent lives, ensuring they can access services of outstanding quality and tailored, “fair and accessible”, care and support.

The directorate has begun work to ensure it is inspection-ready.

Care cap reform would see an increased demand for adults’ care provision, members of Calderdale Council’s Adults, Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board were told.

Acting Director of Adults Services and Wellbeing Anne Flanagan said the goal of ensuring Calderdale delivered the best outcomes for people was challenging but not insurmountable.

Answering Councillor Colin Hutchinson (Lab, Skircoat), she said the council’s registered providers were already subject to CQC inspections and the change was that the local authority itself would now also be inspected, all subject to the same framework.

The council works with 32 care homes, 20 home care providers and five main providers, currently.

Coun Mike Barnes (Lab, Skircoat) said the council should be ready for inspection at any moment in time and he would want to be among the first councils to be inspected.

“If coming into a job new you would want an assessment,” he said.

Councillors were told the last time Calderdale itself underwent a similar inspection was ten years ago, but officers agreed readiness was the key.

Significant work was needed to bring IT systems, used to record client data, up to date.

Officers said the council did not lack insight – there was a very high calibre of staff with strong understanding of issues which needed tackling.

Risks had already been identified and a team put in place to support providers.