Government's care inspectors upgrade council's adult social care service

Councillor Dora Dixon-Fyle, cabinet member for health and adult care at Southwark Council, thanked staff and all those that contributed to the inspections but acknowledged that ultimately they would be judged by the people that use the service.

The second highest category is labelled "performing well", which means the council is "consistently delivering above the minimum requirement for people."

Among the findings, the report shows that vulnerable people are being protected by the service that staff provide them.

Councillor Dora Dixon-Fyle, cabinet member for health and adult social care said: "Southwark Council continues to make great improvements in adult social care and will continue to do so. I want to thank staff and the people that use our services for their contribution to the assessment.

"We have the opportunity of a new start, particularly in terms of personalisation, where our customers will have the opportunity to determine their care and the type of support that best suits their needs. Personalisation is a positive move and will make a significant difference to our customers' lives." 

Further information 

Personalisation

The council is forging ahead with its personalisation programme and is committed to accelerating the shift away from the use of residential and nursing home towards reabling people in their own homes and giving customers the opportunity to determine their own support. Southwark will offer people help getting back on their feet and putting those using services into the driving seat, giving them real choice and control over their support.

New and existing customers will no longer be confined to a narrow range of council services. Instead, they'll be able to choose from a range of community voluntary sector options which meet their specific adult social care needs.

The CQC report

Areas where this year the CQC notes improved performance include:

• 'Personal dignity and respect'; the report confirms that people who use services, and the carers that look after them are safeguarded from all forms of abuse as a result of "practical improvements".
• The "high" number of vulnerable people in paid employment
• Consultation and involvement of service users and carers was described as "extensive".

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of all health and adult social care in England.