Wirral council promises to tackle ‘woeful’ provision of adult social care

WIRRAL Council has tonight pledged to take robust action to tackle the issues raised in a scathing report about its ‘woeful’ provision of adult social care.

Council Leader Jeff Green said he was appalled and deeply disturbed by the findings of the Care Quality Commission’s report, which was considered by cabinet during a meeting at Wallasey Town Hall.

As a result Cabinet has implemented a robust action plan to address the report’s key findings.

It has also given the director of Wirral’s adult social services, John Webb, a strict timetable in which to make changes to the service.

Labour group leader Steve Foulkes has also promised to work with the new administration to help ensure the changes were made.

Cllr Green said: “I am appalled at the findings of this report and I am deeply disturbed that some of the most vulnerable people in Wirral should find themselves so at risk and exposed.”

The result of a CQC review conducted in May, the report criticised the Department’s poor performance in safeguarding adults with learning disabilities and its adequate support for adults with a learning disability to make a positive contribution.

It also found that the council had performed poorly in helping adults with a learning disability to have increased choice and control.

The report also made a number of recommendations on how the council can improve its performance in the area of adult social care.

Cllr Green said: “Protecting vulnerable people and keeping them safe is one of the most basic functions Wirral residents expect from its Council and whilst this inspection was conducted prior to the current administration being formed and the new cabinet member taking up his position, it now falls upon us, as a new administration, to put right what the CQC have exposed as so clearly wrong in the Department of Adult Social Services.

“We will do whatever it takes to make sure the leadership, management and performance of this department is improved and that a new culture of openness, challenge and tackling of poor performance is put in place.

“Following very full and frank discussions, I have given the director of social services full cabinet support, and a timetable, to take whatever action is necessary to turn this unacceptable and woeful performance around.

“I, along with the cabinet member for social care and inclusion, have made our expectations of the leadership and management of his department clear and explained that we, and the residents of Wirral, will hold him and his team accountable for the delivery of the improvements that will ensure vulnerable people are properly protected.”

John Webb, Wirral’s director of adult social services, said: “The action plan will address the many weaknesses identified in the CQC report.

“The report is a clear signal that we need to give greater priority to issues of safeguarding and improve our performance.

“I welcome the support of the leader and cabinet member in bringing about the changes that we need to make to address the challenges set out in the report.

“I fully accept the criticism of our service as set out in the CQC report, which is tough but fair.”

Labour group leader Steve Foulkes said: “Clearly, we had an indication that there were problems within that service, hence the red flag, and it had, in previous years, done okay by an inspection.

“I think it, firstly, shows the value of inspection as a way of improving.

“Secondly, we had put many of the actions in place as part of the red flag issue and it seems to be that we haven’t been rapid enough in implementing those changes.

“Some of those changes, though, involve life-changing decisions for many of the people who were being talked about in the report.

“For example, people with learning disabilities, who currently enjoy attending things like our day centres, are now considered old-fashioned.

“It’s not old-fashioned for those people who attend. So we have to work with those people, and their carers and their families, to ensure that they understand that what’s being done is for their good, is safeguarding and giving them better prospects for their future.

“So in response to the criticism about not enhancing the prospects of people with learning disabilities, I think that does need time and careful management. If there’s a criticism there, that’s one I won’t apologise for.

“But I will apologise for those people who’ve been let down by the service on behalf of the previous administration; who the whole of the cabinet and the scrutiny programme seemed to believe that the officers were on top of the situation and could turn it round in time to safeguard more people.

“I will, as a responsible member of the opposition, and someone who cares deeply about safeguarding adults and about people with learning disabilities, do all I can to help the current administration improve the system.

“This is about improving the service and I will do my bit as a responsible opposition to ensure that improvement.

“I am surprised and shocked, as I think many people are, at the criticism in the inspection’s report.

“It seems to have been a fairly rapid decline from previous good reports. So that’s a lesson for the future.

“We’ve got to get better at scrutinising the services, we’ve got to get better at getting under the skin of officer talk and officer language, to ensure that services, particularly those that involve safeguarding adults, are better monitored and don’t slip into the position that this service seems to have got itself into.

“But, as leader of a previous administration, I will take some responsibility for that. That is the role of leadership.

“I expect Cllr Green in his position as leader to take responsibility for improvements and he’ll have my help and support in doing that.”