Lincolnshire County Council has been told its adult care services requires improvement by the healthcare watchdog.
In nine categories the Care Quality Commission rated the service as below average (two out of four) in five categories and above (three out of four) in four.
Key issues that needed addressing included that ‘the authority had some gaps in service provision that placed people at risk’, that ‘young people had mixed experiences of transitioning to adult services’ and that it ‘didn’t always ensure people could access equipment and minor home adaptations’.
There was though praise for ‘largely positive experiences’ of unpaid carers’, the staff in giving people choices in care, the safeguarding systems that have been put in place and that staff felt valued and motivated.
Mary Cridge, CQC’s director of adult social care, said: “During our assessment of Lincolnshire County Council’s adult social care services, we found an authority with solid foundations in place to improve people’s access to support. However, there were some areas, particularly around care provision, continuity and pathways, where the local authority needed to do more to ensure everyone could get the support they needed.
“We found people had mixed experiences of accessing adult social care. Some people found it difficult, and if they requested an unscheduled review of their care, it went through the customer service centre before being referred to the assessment team. By contrast, a dedicated review team carried out scheduled reviews, which was confusing for some people.
“People weren’t always able to access a range of local support options that sufficiently met their needs. For example, autistic people, people with learning disabilities and people with mental health needs sometimes had to use residential care because alternative, less restrictive options were limited. Leaders recognised this and had plans to improve capacity of alternative services.
“However, leaders recognised the unique needs of Lincolnshire, which was especially important given areas of deprivation along the coast and rural areas with ageing populations. They had improved their understanding of how different groups in the area faced inequalities and worked to address the causes and impact of inequality.
“Lincolnshire also worked well with partners and the community and voluntary sector to prevent, reduce and delay needs, and worked with partners to achieve shared outcomes.
“Leaders at Lincolnshire County Council know where improvements are needed and it was encouraging to hear about their plans to address these areas. There were many positive areas in our report that they now need to build on, and we look forward to seeing their progress.”
Martin Samuels, executive director for adult care and community wellbeing said: “We’re committed to continuous improvement, and, as the report highlights, even before the inspection, we had already been taking action to address aspects of our services.
“I know our staff will be disappointed by the overall rating, but they should also be proud of the progress that is already being made.
“They have been central to the improvements recognised in the report and are helping to drive the ambitious programme of change already underway across adult social care.”
