Almost a year ago, our CQC assessment process began, and we were selected for assessment under the new CQC framework. We were the second council in the North West to be assessed under this new framework, so it is a process largely in its infancy, and one which will continue to develop.
Our rating has been formed from judgements across different care and quality areas. Overall, we have been rated as Requires Improvement.
We are now actively addressing the recommendations made by the CQC, and are already making improvements, with an initial focus on any areas that will drive the biggest improvements for residents who access adult social care services in Warrington. Given the assessment process concluded several months ago, we have already been able to implement a number of changes and improvements.
We have also engaged with the Local Government Association (LGA) to seek their support as we work on implementing our improvements.
Providing safeguarding assurance
It is important to note that for the safeguarding element of our CQC assessment, we have been assessed as Inadequate.
We’re very disappointed with this judgement. It effectively means that the CQC deemed at the time of its assessment that our safeguarding systems, processes and practices were not always effective.
We want to reassure you that we take this extremely seriously. In response to the report, since the inspection and to provide assurance, we have reviewed 1,300 safeguarding cases that were referred during the first phase of implementing our online form. From these cases we have found no indication of harm, or that our current safeguarding system is unsafe. This is something we have closely liaised with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) about, given its importance.
We are also actively working with an expert LGA-appointed advisor, who has analysed our safeguarding practices in detail, as part of a diagnostic process. This work is also helping us to drive further improvements.
Equally, we have discussed in detail the safeguarding concerns raised in the CQC report with the independent chair of Warrington’s Safeguarding Adults Board, who, while understanding the seriousness of the CQC judgement, is confident that our systems and processes are safe – acknowledging there are further improvements we are making.
We hope that through this work our residents and communities understand how seriously we’re taking the report and how committed we are to making improvements and embedding them quickly.
Next steps
We are motivated to make the changes necessary to our Adult Social Care services and will be guided be a service improvement plan. We will report progress against this improvement plans to the LGA and our Protecting the Most Vulnerable Policy Committee, alongside sharing progress with the DHSC.
You can read the full assessment on the CQC website now
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, cabinet member for statutory health and adult social care, said: “We accept the CQC's findings and welcome the advice which highlights the areas where we need to improve. I understand the concerns this may raise with residents. While there are clear areas of strength highlighted in the report, there are also areas where the council needs to do better.
“It’s crucial that we address the recommendations comprehensively, quickly and effectively, to ensure the highest quality of care that our residents deserve. I would like to reassure residents that this process is now under way, and improvements are already being made.
"The council is acting swiftly and decisively on the recommendations outlined in the report - listening to the feedback provided by the assessors and working at pace to put the necessary changes and improvements in place.
"I am committed to ensuring that we restore full trust in our services, particularly for those people who rely on them most. This will involve not only implementing the required improvements but also ensuring ongoing transparency and open communication about the progress we are making.”