Surrey County Council’s adult social care service rated ‘good’ by Care Quality Commission

Surrey County Council's adult social care service has been rated 'good' by the Care Quality Commission which praised a focus on supporting people to lead independent lives in their own homes and communities.  

Following an inspection which gathered feedback from residents, carers, staff, partners and providers, the social care regulator highlighted a number of strengths including the county council's preventative work to delay or reduce people's need for care and support. This often involves working with health and voluntary sector partners to keep people independent for longer in their local communities.  

Assessors also found a consistent person-centred approach to supporting people with care needs, whose wishes and goals were put at the heart of care assessments and planning. Staff displayed empathy, respect and a 'can-do' attitude. 

In a report published on 20 November, the CQC concluded that 'evidence shows a good standard' for the county council's adult social care provision, with an overall score of 70 per cent. 

Key findings include:  

• Staff were proud to work at Surrey County Council and were passionate about serving local people. 
• The council works with people, partners and the local community to make available a range of services to promote independence and prevent, reduce or delay the need for care and support. 
• People's right to choose, and their wishes about what they want to achieve and how they live their lives, are reflected in the council's person-centred and strengths-based approach to assessment and care planning. 
• The council has an ambitious programme to increase supported living capacity by least 500 spaces to promote people's independence, choice and control.  
• The council is working to keep people in their homes for longer and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, reducing pressure on A&E departments. 
• People could easily access the local authority's care and support services through multiple channels, including online and self-assessment options. There was also clear signposting to other community services when people first got in touch if this was more appropriate.  
• Partners gave positive feedback about how the local authority worked with them to support people's independence. Data for Surrey showed 86% of people who have received short term support didn't need ongoing longer-term support which is positive compared to the England and regional average of 78%.  

Sinead Mooney, Surrey County Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: "This is a fantastic result for a large service and reflects our commitment to putting people at the heart of everything we do, with no one left behind. 

"The dedication of our staff shines through the report and I'd like to thank them publicly for their hard work making a positive difference to the lives of thousands of people in communities across Surrey. I'd also like to thank partners, providers and unpaid carers who are all pivotal in our aim of supporting people to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.  

"Our ultimate goal is to deliver the best possible services for Surrey residents and this 'good' outcome will help instil confidence in the services and support we are providing and that we are on the right path to making further improvements.  

"As we celebrate this achievement, we also recognise that there are areas where we need to learn and develop and we are actively working to address all feedback from the CQC through comprehensive improvement plans. Our new director of adult social services recently started with us, so we're well-placed to build on this result to further raise the bar for our residents."  

Adult social care aims to help people stay independent, safe and well so they can live the lives they want to. This includes people who are frail or have physical or learning disabilities, mental health needs or issues with substance misuse, and any carers who look after them. More than 24,000 people are currently open to adult social care in Surrey. 

The CQC assessment focused on how well the county council is meeting its duties under the Care Act 2014. Local authorities are being assessed for the first time since the Act was introduced, to provide independent assurance to the public of the quality of care in their area. The CQC will be assessing councils across the country, with Surrey among the first to be visited.   

The inspection covered nine different aspects of adult social care across four themes - working with people, providing support, ensuring safety, and leadership. The inspection involved meetings, interviews, focus groups and drop-in sessions with staff, partners, providers, carers and people with lived experience, as well as a detailed study of a sample of cases. A range of data and other evidence sources were also considered.  

James Bullion, CQC's chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, highlighted strengths including the council's creative work to meet the needs of its population which has pockets of deprivation where residents have high levels of need and disadvantage. He also outlined areas for improvement and noted negative feedback from unpaid carers.

"Overall, Surrey County Council should be proud of this assessment and the foundation they've created on which to build improvements and further innovation. We look forward to returning to see how their current plans mature," he said. 

 The full report will be available found on the CQC website.

To find out about opportunities to work in adult social care in Surrey, visit the jobs section on the Surrey County Council website - https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/jobs/opportunities/adults. 

Caption: Sinead Mooney, Surrey County Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care  (second from right), pictured with people who draw and care and support alongside staff from the provider Dramatize, which supports adults with learning disabilities after they leave education, offering a wide range of activities including day provisions and employment and life skills programmes. 

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