Adult social care in Suffolk is 'good', says CQC

Adult social care in Suffolk has been rated as "good" following an inspection.

A report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said nine areas of care had been assessed and two thirds of them showed a good standard, although the others showed evidence of "shortfalls".

Chris Badger, the CQC's chief inspector of adult social care, said people using the service in Suffolk "generally had positive experiences".

Philip Faircloth-Mutton, the Reform UK council's cabinet member for adult social care, said the authority was delighted with the results.

The inspectors highlighted the "person-centered" service offered in Suffolk.

Badger said: "Overall, Suffolk should be proud of the positive findings in our report. Its committed staff, strong safeguarding practice and focus on prevention and independence are making a real difference to people's lives."

The report also commended the use of technology to help people live independently, including medication reminders, fall-detection devices and video care phones.

However, inspectors also pointed to some areas where the service fell short.

These included not having enough staff, which meant there were some delays and long waits for care reviews.

The report said there needed to be more support for carers to be able to access respite care, and digital exclusion remained a challenge for some people.

Badger said: "We look forward to seeing further progress on the areas identified for improvement."

Faircloth-Mutton said: "There are improvements that need to be made and any investments will be investigated thoroughly."

He added: "I will be challenging our team to deliver the best possible care we can and I hope to deliver an 'outstanding' rating in the coming years."

Gareth Everton, the council's executive director for adult social care, said he was pleased with the report.

Challenged on waiting list times, he said: "We have increasing demands so people might need to wait a little bit of time for an assessment... particularly around care reviews.

"About 70% of people can wait up to a year for that review but, when people have changing needs and they need a more urgent response, we do see people in a timely manner."

The inspection was conducted in December while the local authority was being run by the Conservatives. The budget for the service was also set under the previous administration.

The service needs to find savings of £17.8m this financial year, and has a budget of £382m.

Beccy Hopfensperger, who was the cabinet member with responsibility for adult care when the inspection took place, said: "I'm really pleased to see Suffolk receive this recognition from the CQC.

"I know just how much hard work goes into delivering adult social care, and this report reflects the dedication and professionalism of our staff and partners, who make such a difference to people's lives every day."

Her successor, Faircloth-Mutton, said: "I'm working very closely with all of our teams within adult care in Suffolk to ensure that we do deliver the best."

Asked whether he would look to make further budget savings, he said: "We will always aim for the highest we possibly can, both in this tax year and in following tax years."

The council uses its budget to buy services from private providers, including care homes and domiciliary care.

Jo Reeder, chief executive of the Suffolk Care Association, which represents independent providers, said: "We look forward to working with Suffolk County Council and its various teams to build on this 'good' rating and turn it into meaningful solutions for social care providers, its workforce and, most importantly, the vulnerable people that we care for and support."

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