Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s Adult Social Care Rated “Requires Improvement” by CQC

The adult social care services provided by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council have received a rating of “requires improvement” from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), an independent watchdog. The CQC identified “some shortfalls” in six of the nine assessed areas within the council’s adult social care provision. While the CQC acknowledged that the service possessed a “great foundation” and was making progress, it highlighted concerns regarding the duration of assessment wait times and challenges in data accessibility. Councillor Catherine del Campo commented that the given rating accurately represented the council’s ongoing efforts to provide quality service amidst escalating costs and growing demand. The service achieved an overall score of 62%, which was just one percentage point below the threshold for a “good” rating. Inspectors observed that individuals faced excessive delays in receiving comprehensive assessments for their occupational therapy requirements, with some experiencing waits of up to six months. Furthermore, it was noted that staff were not consistently able to conduct “timely” annual care reviews. Challenges were identified in the proactive identification of young carers, and restricted access to data hindered the authority’s ability to demonstrate its adherence to its public sector equality duty. Conversely, the CQC also determined that an above-average proportion of service users reported feeling safe and affirmed having control over their daily routines. The report highlighted that staff were “passionate about serving local people” and maintained “strong relationships” with local voluntary organizations. Additionally, inspectors observed that new programs were beginning to yield positive outcomes, and leaders demonstrated a “good understanding” of the areas requiring enhancement. James Bullion, the CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, stated that the council possessed a “great foundation” upon which to implement improvements. He added, “We look forward to returning to see how they’ve done this and how their current plans mature.” Ms Campo remarked, “The report sends the clear message is that our improvement plan is the right one and as transformation work becomes embedded in everyday practice, we strengthen our position going forwards.” For further updates, BBC Berkshire can be followed on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.