Adult care services praised in Wandsworth

The council is good at safeguarding vulnerable adults and meeting the needs of older people according to an independent inspection by the health and social care regulator.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that adult safeguarding had improved significantly since a 2008 review and that prospects for further progress were excellent.

Adult safeguarding means making sure vulnerable adults are protected from abuse. Where problems do occur, partner organisations work together to put in place protection plans which support the individual.

The commission acknowledged the council’s achievement over the last year in developing robust systems and training more than 700 people in new procedures.

The council is now extending this training across all agencies. This will include initiatives to encourage independent advocacy among individuals.

The inspectors also looked at how the council was delivering personalised services to older people. These are designed to offer older people choice and control and promote dignity, independence and well-being and often include services such as home care, day care or telecare where modern technology can allow people to live independently in their own homes.

The inspectors found that older people were positive about their relationship with the council, especially with frontline staff in adult social services, and felt that they were treated with respect. The report was also positive about progress in many areas including recognition and support of carers.

The council has been promoting a system called ‘direct payments’, which allows older people to choose their own personal care packages and receive funding for them. This allows individuals more say over what is best for them. The commission found that this system was generally working well, and that the council was building strong partnerships with other agencies. It also found that staff in all council departments were keen to ensure the needs of older people were met.

The council plans further initiatives to improve services for carers and will work with its partners to meet the wide-ranging objectives of the Older People’s Strategy.

Executive member for adult services, Cllr Jim Maddan, said he welcomed the report.

“We are working tremendously hard to keep vulnerable adults safe and promote independence and well-being for older people. It’s gratifying that the inspectors have acknowledged the progress we have made.

“We are not complacent and will continue to work on developing and improving these services and ensuring the public know about the support available to them.

“From my own knowledge of adult social services in Wandsworth I am certain we can achieve this. This confidence is clearly shared by the inspectors who found an organisation benefiting from strong leadership and a highly-motivated staff team.”