The Care Quality Commission has proudly rated adult social care in Leeds as “good,” celebrating its skilled and culturally sensitive staff, strong safeguarding, and effective partnerships. However, the report also pinpoints crucial areas for enhancement, such as boosting direct payment uptake, offering better support for unpaid carers, and significantly reducing assessment waiting times for residents.
What did the new CQC report find about the quality of adult social care in Leeds?
The new CQC report rated adult social care in Leeds as “good,” highlighting skilled, culturally sensitive staff, strong safeguarding measures, effective partnership working, and robust systems. Areas for improvement include increasing direct payment uptake, better support for unpaid carers, and reducing assessment waiting times.
Assessment Overview and Key Findings
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has released a comprehensive new report evaluating the standard of adult social care delivered by Leeds City Council. This report, part of the CQC’s new responsibilities under the Health and Care Act 2022, marks the first time Leeds has been assessed in this manner. The primary finding is that adult social care in Leeds has been rated as “good,” signifying robust systems and high-quality provision throughout the city.
The report specifically highlights the “skilled, knowledgeable and committed staff” who form the backbone of Leeds’s adult social care. These professionals are commended for their dedication to promoting individual strengths and for their deep understanding of the city’s diverse communities. The assessment underscores the importance of culturally sensitive care, acknowledging how staff recognize and address potential barriers to accessing support across different demographic groups.
Among other strengths, the CQC commends effective safeguarding policies and processes designed to protect vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect. The report also identifies an array of positive examples of partnership working, noting that collaboration between city agencies ensures people receive timely and appropriate care in various settings. The full assessment can be viewed on the CQC’s website.
Workforce and Community Engagement
Central to Leeds’s success is its dedicated workforce, who have received extensive praise from the CQC and city leadership alike. Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles, and culture, described the assessment process as “rigorous” and reinforced the significance of having a “dedicated and passionate workforce.” Arif emphasized, “We’re pleased the assessment team recognised our dedicated and passionate workforce and the collective work across the city to ensure adults are safe, supported to live well and flourish.”
Staff members are not only skilled but also work with a deep respect for the city’s cultural diversity. This cultural competency ensures adult social care is inclusive and responsive to the needs of all communities within Leeds. The report points to staff who actively promote individuals’ strengths and take extra steps to understand and address the specific challenges faced by minority groups or those at risk of exclusion.
Community engagement is further strengthened by partnership working, which involves a range of public, private, and voluntary sector organizations. These collaborative arrangements help ensure that individuals receive coordinated support, minimizing duplication and filling any gaps in service provision. CQC’s findings suggest that this model has led to better outcomes for service users and highlights it as an example of good practice in adult social care.
Safeguarding, Systems, and Partnership Practices
The CQC assessment gives significant attention to safeguarding measures, a critical area in adult social care. Leeds City Council has implemented robust systems and processes designed to protect adults from abuse and neglect. These mechanisms are not only compliant with national standards but also adapted to the specific needs of Leeds’s population. According to the report, the council’s protocols and practices have contributed to a citywide environment where people feel protected and cared for.
One of the key factors in safeguarding and overall care quality is the use of effective information-sharing and governance procedures. The CQC notes that Leeds has established strong frameworks for monitoring and responding to risks, which are regularly reviewed and updated in response to changing needs and emerging threats. These frameworks ensure staff can act quickly and appropriately when concerns arise, and that lessons from incidents are systematically integrated into future practice.
Additionally, the report highlights the positive impact of partnership working in Leeds. Through joint working arrangements, multi-disciplinary teams bring together expertise from health, social care, housing, and voluntary services. This approach fosters innovation and ensures comprehensive support for adults across the city. Examples cited include coordinated discharge planning from hospitals and integrated community support for those with complex needs, which help to avoid unnecessary admissions and support people to remain at home for as long as possible.
Areas for Improvement and Forward-Looking Initiatives
While the CQC report praises many aspects of Leeds’s adult social care, it also outlines important areas for further development. One of the most pressing issues is increasing the uptake of ‘direct payments,’ a mechanism that allows individuals to have greater control over their care by receiving funding directly. The report notes that while Leeds performs well in many areas, direct payment uptake is an area for growth.
Another area identified for improvement relates to the consistency of support provided to unpaid carers. Unpaid carers play a vital role in the adult social care ecosystem, often providing essential support to family members or friends. The CQC report calls for more consistent and equitable support for these individuals, ensuring that their contributions are recognized and that they receive the assistance needed to continue their roles without undue strain.
Reducing waiting lists for assessments and reviews is a further priority highlighted by the assessment. Long waiting times can delay access to crucial services and impact individuals’ ability to live independently. Leeds City Council has acknowledged this challenge and indicated that work is already underway to address it. Efforts include streamlining assessment processes, investing in workforce development, and enhancing digital systems to improve efficiency and responsiveness.
To learn more about the latest news and press releases from the CQC, visit their news page. For further information or media inquiries, interested parties can contact Leeds City Council’s communications and marketing team at communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk or by telephone at 0113 378 6007.
- The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated adult social care in Leeds as “good” in its new report.
- The report highlights skilled and culturally sensitive staff, strong safeguarding, and effective partnerships as key strengths.
- Areas identified for improvement include increasing direct payment uptake, better support for unpaid carers, and reducing assessment waiting times.
- This CQC assessment is the first time Leeds has been evaluated under the new responsibilities of the Health and Care Act 2022.
- Councillor Salma Arif praised the city’s dedicated workforce and collective effort to ensure adults are safe and supported.