The national health watchdog has rated a West London council’s adult care services as ‘Outstanding’.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) praised Kensington and Chelsea Council’s person-centred approach and said it has learned from the Grenfell Tower tragedy to build genuine partnerships with its communities.
Inspectors also found the local authority had no waiting lists, which it puts down to a focus on preventative care and a solid understanding of how to measure team performance.
However, the watchdog said staff and partners struggled to find placements in the borough where people had complex needs, but they were usually able to identify solutions that met people’s needs locally.
They also said there was “room to improve” the experiences of unpaid carers. It also praised the council for routinely engaging with marginalised communities
The report read: “Through community champions and safeguarding ambassadors, the local authority had reached a very wide number of people across the diverse range of communities within the borough.
“These roles facilitated a listening approach, where communities were engaged in shaping their adult social care service, and overcame barriers and reached groups who may be less likely to access services.”
Inspectors found in 2023/24, 100per cent of people aged 65 and over were still at home 91 days after discharge from hospital – significantly better than the England average of 83.7pc.
It said staff were proud to work for the council because of the difference their interventions made to people. The report read: “Staff and leaders were particularly proud of operating a service with no waiting lists and our findings showed this had been a strategic success.”
High number of unpaid carers
According to the CQC, national data from the Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) for 2023/24 showed 45pc of carers were not in paid employment because of caring responsibilities. This was significantly worse than the England average of 26.70%.
The data did show more unpaid carers in the borough accessed support to keep them in work than the England average but that national averages of outcomes for unpaid carers are poor, so meeting them is not always a sign of a good offer for unpaid carers.
The borough is also home to more people who lived alone which meant the numbers of unpaid carers in the borough was slightly lower as a proportion of people with long term support needs.
Data showed in 2023/24, 65.52pc of carers experienced financial difficulties because of caring. This was significantly worse than the England average of 46.55pc.
According to Kensington and Chelsea Council, the top rating makes it one of only two local authorities in the country to receive an Outstanding rating for both adults’ and children’s services.
James Bullion, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care, said the council’s level of service was “exceptional”. He said: “It was remarkable to see the high-quality, person-centred and inclusive care being delivered.
“The local authority had deeply embedded preventative approaches, and there was a strong focus on enabling people to remain independent, well connected, and in control of their support. Their work was shaped by learnings from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and it was clear that this had strengthened its commitment to working in genuine partnership with its communities.”
He added: “Overall, Kensington and Chelsea Council should be extremely proud of this assessment and the outstanding care they’re providing to people. Other local authorities should look at this report to see if there’s anything they can learn.”
Cllr Josh Rendall, Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, said: “We are incredibly proud to have our adult social care services rated as Outstanding. This is a testament to the hard work of our staff, who work with our partners and communities every day to provide the best possible care for our residents.
“In particular, the commitment to safeguarding is something we have strived to achieve. To be one of only two local authorities to receive this rating is a reflection of our dedication to putting people first. We will continue to build on this success, ensuring our services remain inclusive, responsive and focused on helping people to live healthy and independent lives.”
Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, added: “In our children’s services, we are Outstanding, and now to have Outstanding in our adult social care really means a lot as part of our Grenfell legacy is to become the best council.”
According to the CQC, the council spent 18pc of its total budget – around £59m – on adult social care in 2023/24. Approximately 2,000 people accessed long-term or short-term care in 2023/24.
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