The Local Government Association has called for single word ratings in council adult social care service ratings to be scrapped.
This comes after single word ratings were scrapped for Ofsted inspections, with the LGA saying that single-word ratings do not offer the right level of insight and balance around the complex issues facing the services. Alongside schools and education settings, that decision also extends to children’s social care teams.
According to the LGA, the assessment reports provided by the Care Quality Commission are sufficient, as they provide a more detailed analysis and narrative of the quality of services. By maintaining this method, it ensures that proper context is applied when considering the underfunding and unmet need that the adult social care sector has faced.
Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr David Fothergill, said:
“Local government fully supports transparency and accountability. But while assessment and regulation are both important and helpful in driving improvements to services, single word or phrase judgements cannot ever adequately capture the complexity of adult social care and the work councils do to meet their legal obligations.
“The Government must ensure that the assurance process is, and remains, productive and supportive for councils. Sufficient time must be given to learn the lessons from councils’ experiences as more go through the assessment process.”
Whilst also calling for the end to single word ratings, Cllr Fothergill also outlined how the government must provide immediate investment so that the crisis in adult social care can be tackled. Touching on a long-term funding and reform plan, Cllr Fothergill continued:
”Working with people who draw on care and support, councils and care providers, the Government also needs to urgently develop and implement a fully costed, long-term, sustainable plan to fund social care. Investment and reform are critical for bringing about real change and better outcomes for people.”
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